Pre-series thread Kings (3) @ Oilers (2) [message #820930] |
Fri, 14 April 2023 09:42 |
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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Schedule:
Mon., April 17: Kings at Oilers, 10 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, ESPN
Wed., April 19: Kings at Oilers, 10 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, ESPN
Fri., April 21: Oilers at Kings, 10 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, TNT
Sun., April 23: Oilers at Kings, 9 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, TBS
Tue., April 25: Kings at Oilers, TBA
Sat., April 29: Oilers at Kings, TBA
Mon., May 1: Kings at Oilers, TBA
[Updated on: Sat, 15 April 2023 00:35]
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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Kr55 Messages: 10777
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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CrusaderPi wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 09:42 | First two games are on Monday and Wednesday in Edmonton! Rest of the schedule to follow (annoyed emoji).
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Destroy
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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RDOilerfan Messages: 3908
Registered: January 2016
3 Cups
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At the start of March when it looked like it was going to be the Oilers and Kings, I was worried about the Kings. I thought they had the Oilers number. I was worried they would push the Oilers around. The goaltending was OK not great, the PK wasn't great and the defense was suspect.
But since March 1:
- They are 18-2-1 and have the best record in the NHL since Jan.
-The Oilers defense has tightened up big time. In the last 7 games, they have give up 6 goals. The whole team including the big boys have committed to playing defense.
- The defense with the addition of Ekholm has solidified. Nurse has settled down knowing he doesn't have to do it all anymore. Ceci I think has been a lot better, he supposedly has been dealing with an injury and maybe that's better. Ekholm gives you another big min playing, really good dman. Bouchard with the help of Ekholm is becoming the dman everyone expected. Then you have Kulak who's a damn good 3rd pairing guy and a nasty SOB in Deharnhais to make life miserable. The defense is big, mobile, has some puck moving and offense in every pairing, has physicality and toughness in every pairing and can defend. There is no covering your eyes and hoping for the best with any of the pairings in my opinion like in past years.
- The PP hasn't cooled off, even with turning it over to Bouchard after trading Barrie. If you take a penalty, you will be scored on. They set an NHL record for
- The PK has been excellent, I think they killed off something like 19 or 20 in a row before last night. Plus they are an extreme threat to score shorties. I think they have 18 that leads the NHL.
- They played the Kings twice and beat them playing Kings hockey twice.
- The Oilers have been the physical aggressor and it's not just from a couple of guys, it's all of them.
- The top guys scoring wise haven't cooled off at all but they are no longer reliant on McD and Leon to score. If you look at the 12 forwards that are mostly likely playing in game 1, everyone of them has 10 or more goals. I can't remember an Oilers the last Oilers team that has had that much scoring depth. Gone are the days when once McD and Leon step off the ice, they are in trouble. Their bottom 6 out scorers other teams.
I am trying not to be over confident but I don't see the Kings being able to hang with the Oilers.
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NZ Oiler Fan Messages: 1189
Registered: October 2006
Location: Kensington, PEI
1 Cup
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Not looking forward to the inevitable 11:30pm puck drops that will be happening for the games in LA, so hopefully we can beat them in short order so I don't need to put up with more than two of them.
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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NZ Oiler Fan wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:52 | Not looking forward to the inevitable 11:30pm puck drops that will be happening for the games in LA, so hopefully we can beat them in short order so I don't need to put up with more than two of them.
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Yup. There are two west coast teams in the playoffs and they might both be playing mountain time zone teams (if Colorado beats Nashville tonight). Edmonton is starting every game after 8.
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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benv Messages: 602
Registered: May 2006
Location: Edmonton
No Cups
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CrusaderPi wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:58 |
NZ Oiler Fan wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:52 | Not looking forward to the inevitable 11:30pm puck drops that will be happening for the games in LA, so hopefully we can beat them in short order so I don't need to put up with more than two of them.
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Yup. There are two west coast teams in the playoffs and they might both be playing mountain time zone teams (if Colorado beats Nashville tonight). Edmonton is starting every game after 8.
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Three actually: Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vegas. Vegas (and possibly Seattle if the Avs lose tonight) play a team on central time.
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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RDOilerfan wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:48 | At the start of March when it looked like it was going to be the Oilers and Kings, I was worried about the Kings. I thought they had the Oilers number. I was worried they would push the Oilers around. The goaltending was OK not great, the PK wasn't great and the defense was suspect.
<snip>
I am trying not to be over confident but I don't see the Kings being able to hang with the Oilers.
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The Oilers had that bad 6-3 loss at LA in January which, in retrospect, was probably the low point of the season. The had a couple of fights and seemed to turn the whole season around for the rest of the road trip and thereafter. I think, but didn't get into game logs to verify, that's when Skinner because the undisputed with the coach.
So, in conclusion, I guess the Kings are to blame for turn the Oilers into a .. juggernaut?
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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benv wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 11:04 |
CrusaderPi wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:58 |
NZ Oiler Fan wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:52 | Not looking forward to the inevitable 11:30pm puck drops that will be happening for the games in LA, so hopefully we can beat them in short order so I don't need to put up with more than two of them.
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Yup. There are two west coast teams in the playoffs and they might both be playing mountain time zone teams (if Colorado beats Nashville tonight). Edmonton is starting every game after 8.
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Three actually: Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vegas. Vegas (and possibly Seattle if the Avs lose tonight) play a team on central time.
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Oh right. Vegas. I wonder if the NHL is so dismissive of the Winnipeg market that they'll get stupid late home starts. Game 3 and 4 in Winnipeg would be weekend games so maybe?
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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smyth260 Messages: 1081
Registered: November 2007
1 Cup
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LA will be a different team than last year with additions of Fiala and Gavrikov with a healthy Doughty. But we are different too.
I expect this to be an extra tough series on the body. There is a lot of hate now.
Clean house or bust
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kungpaobenji27 Messages: 340
Registered: August 2003
Location: Irving, Texas
No Cups
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smyth260 wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 12:14 | LA will be a different team than last year with additions of Fiala and Gavrikov with a healthy Doughty. But we are different too.
I expect this to be an extra tough series on the body. There is a lot of hate now.
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As #97 said in an interview, "yeah they've gotten better...but we've gotten better as well"
I wonder what the status of Gabe Vilardi and Kevin Fiala are for the Kings...looks like they're still out which would help us a ton.
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Suomalainen Messages: 900
Registered: May 2002
Location: Boulder, CO
No Cups
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Too bad Mikey Anderson is back and probably looking to hurt someone.
97.
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Kr55 Messages: 10777
Registered: May 2002
Location: Edmonton
6 Cups
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Suomalainen wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 11:57 | Too bad Mikey Anderson is back and probably looking to hurt someone.
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Yeah, Mikey's knees are gonna be out when McDavid and Drai are coming by. Better keep their heads up. Also look out for chokeholds and takedowns from behind in scrums.
"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013
"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015
5 x $5,000,000
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kungpaobenji27 Messages: 340
Registered: August 2003
Location: Irving, Texas
No Cups
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CrusaderPi wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 12:10 |
benv wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 11:04 |
CrusaderPi wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:58 |
NZ Oiler Fan wrote on Fri, 14 April 2023 10:52 | Not looking forward to the inevitable 11:30pm puck drops that will be happening for the games in LA, so hopefully we can beat them in short order so I don't need to put up with more than two of them.
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Yup. There are two west coast teams in the playoffs and they might both be playing mountain time zone teams (if Colorado beats Nashville tonight). Edmonton is starting every game after 8.
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Three actually: Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vegas. Vegas (and possibly Seattle if the Avs lose tonight) play a team on central time.
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Oh right. Vegas. I wonder if the NHL is so dismissive of the Winnipeg market that they'll get stupid late home starts. Game 3 and 4 in Winnipeg would be weekend games so maybe?
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One thing is for sure...Sabres fans will be cheering hard for Winnipeg in that series....
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Skookum Jim Messages: 4419
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
4 Cups
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Only thing about LA that could possibly be a challenge is Korpisalo.. he's a decent stopper.. Oil will not win this series in a shoot out.. need to lock down.. which they are more than capable of.. now.
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!!
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
P. Chiarelli math.. T. Hall = A. Larsson, Yak= bag o'pucks (OK he got one right...) K. Russell = $4.1 M+NMC, G. Reinhart= M. Barzal + A. Beauvillier, J. Eberle = R. Spooner,
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Skookum Jim Messages: 4419
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
4 Cups
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.. another thought on Ekholm addition.. the fact that he's pulling heavy minutes vs Opposition Elites is that in addition to Ceci and Nurse playing less vs. Elites (bonus), is that the D pairings don't have to be matched as closely as before.. you have two pars to put out there now vs Elites.. less chaos on the bench, less bad line changes.. tighter game.
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!!
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
P. Chiarelli math.. T. Hall = A. Larsson, Yak= bag o'pucks (OK he got one right...) K. Russell = $4.1 M+NMC, G. Reinhart= M. Barzal + A. Beauvillier, J. Eberle = R. Spooner,
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K.McC#24 Messages: 2834
Registered: March 2004
Location: ALBERTA
2 Cups
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Different feeling this spring. It's like knowing of the Oilers can play the way they've demonstrated they can play for long stretches, they can defeat anyone.
No longer are we worried that our bottom 6 is going to get caved in. Our bottom 6 now stacks up favorably against almost anyone.
No longer are we worried about losing battles and getting pushed around. Ain't gonna happen. They regularly beat other teams to loose pucks and win battles down the lineup.
Nurse healthy, LD healthy. Nothing big out there that's hindering performance.
Their skill will be a difference maker in tight games.
I think the only potential loose end is between the pipes if the starter falters, but that could be said for most if not all teams in the playoffs.
We've seen in the past that a great team doesn't always punch a ticket to the SCF and win, but this year kinda has that spring of '83...maybe spring of '84 feeling.
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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A couple thoughts now that the schedule has been release with times for the first four games:
-I guess the script calls for the Oilers in 5? A three day break between games 5 & 6 is ridiculous.
-At least Sunday's game is at 7 pm mountain (10 pm atlantic) send your thanks to the league office
-The Oilers look like they'll be doubleheader partners with Boston and Florida
-The central time zone is getting absolutely screwed. All three Wild /Stars weekday games start at 8:30 local. The Jets weekday game gets the same treatment.
-Only Seattle / Colorado don't get extra days off
-NYR is getting an 8pm Saturday start and bumping Billy Joel. Tickets for Billy Joel at MSG, in case you're wondering, start at $487 right now.
-4 games / night for the first 8 days, then things string out just as series start to end. The NHL is tempting fate that they won't lose momentum with dark nights.
-The Oilers are getting robbed of a Saturday night game 7 (if necessary). In fact the Oilers get no weekend home games. Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday. The Kangs get Friday, Sunday, Saturday. So I guess the bars here will be happy? Looks like a couple cheap flight options exist for a LA weekend.
[Updated on: Sat, 15 April 2023 01:13]
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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tardigrade81 Messages: 2266
Registered: November 2022
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
2 Cups
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Nervous folks. Can’t wait
Oilers in 6!
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Oscargasm Messages: 5911
Registered: May 2009
Location: YEG
5 Cups
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tardigrade81 wrote on Sat, 15 April 2023 20:53 | Nervous folks. Can’t wait
Oilers in 6!
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Same here honestly. They don’t have Quick in net anymore and the following 4 dmen are dirty plugs who could wreck our lives; Doughty, Anderson, Edler, Durzi. Hacks man.
Survivor CHAMP S52 | S66
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g2k Messages: 2840
Registered: January 2003
Location: The Hood
2 Cups
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#firebob #screwitjustselltheteam #ownerisacreep
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CrusaderPi Messages: 7804
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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Hell yeah! A tradition like no other.
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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