🧫🏒🎿 2023-24 WCF: (P2) Edmonton Oilers at Central Champion Dallas Stars (EDM WINS 4-2)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

                                                                                         

 

A very good Edmonton Oiler team who MIGHT have won their division had they not started out so horribly goes up against the Central Champ Stars who have designs on returning to the Stanley Cup Finals were they came a series away from winning a Cup just a short 4 years ago.

Edmonton hasn't been in the position to make a serious run at a Cup in quite some time....the last time they were in the Finals, I believe they were dubbed a 'Cinderella' squad.
No Cinderellas here.

Here is a bit of what the teams have done to this point in the post season:

EDMONTON OILERS:
Post Season Record: 8-4, scoring 3.83 GF/B while yielding 2.75 GA/G

Special Teams: PP- 37.5%,  PK- 91.4%
Beat division rival Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in the opening round, and defeated the Pacific Division Champion Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in the 2nd round.

 

DALLAS STARS, Central Division Champions
Post Season Record: 8-5, scoring 2.92 GF/G while yielding 2.38 GA/G
Special Teams: PP- 29%,  PK- 69.2%

Beat the defending, now former, Stanley Cup Champions Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the first round, and the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the 2nd round.
That's the last two Cup Champs Dallas has gone through so far, people!

Two deserving teams, elation for both fanbases who have every right to believe their team will be the one playing for Lord Stanley after this set.
But only one is going to move forward while the other will have to stew in frustrating, "What could have beens".

Oilers, Stars....Western Conference Championship series talk...right here!
 

Edited June 3 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[mojo1917]

I think the Stars even with the injuries or potentially lessened Seguin and Hintze are still too deep for this best-version-yet of the McDavid led Oilers. 

 

I picked Stars in 6. 

 

It could be that Draisatl and McJesus are too beaucoup for Dallas.

I think Dallas will take advantage of the third pair d of the Oil and will victimize Cody Ceci's pairing. Edmonton will need to score 6 on the regular to win this series IMO and I don't think they can do it.

[OccamsRazor]

24 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I picked Stars in 6. 

 

I agree i had to pick them in 7 though.

 

i think the edge is goal will be the difference.

[yave1964]

I picked Edmonton to win it all in.preaeason, but damn. Dallas is a complete team top to bottom. Stars in 7

[JR Ewing]

3 hours ago, yave1964 said:

I picked Edmonton to win it all in.preaeason, but damn. Dallas is a complete team top to bottom. Stars in 7

 

Dallas made excellent use of the development system to get players like Stankoven ready to contribute in the playoffs. It's cheaper and smarter than over-paying for old men at the trade deadline.

[NHL HHOF]

 

[thegx.ca]

Dallas in 5 they got more than an edge in goal and they beat the last 2 Cup champs already...

[Math]

I forgot how often these two teams used to play against each other in the late 1990s/early 2000s despite not being in the same division. Here's the history playoffs match-up between the two franchises:

 

1984 Conference final: North Stars - Oilers 0-4
1991 Conference final: North Stars - Oilers 4-1
1997 1st round: Stars - Oilers 3-4
1998 2nd round: Stars - Oilers 4-1
1999 1st round: Stars - Oilers 4-0
2000 1st round: Stars - Oilers 4-1
2001 1st round: Stars - Oilers 4-2
2003 1st round: Stars - Oilers 4-2

 

I'm expecting the same kind of series than vs. Colorado. Edmonton has a lethal heavy top-6 team with two of the top-3 players in the League. Should be the same story for the Stars: contain the double-headed monster, keep disciplined and stay out of the box, and have contribution of all four lines. With Lundkvist officially being a flop, DeBoer is less reluctant to give Petrovic more minutes and spread a bit Heiskanen, Harley and Tanev's TOI. Also, Öttinger has to remain stellar and not allow any weak goals. Finally, Dallas not having the road ice advantage, they will need to steal at least one game at home.

 

Oh, and of course, the Stars will lose game #1. Business as usual.

 

9 hours ago, thegx.ca said:

Dallas in 5 they got more than an edge in goal and they beat the last 2 Cup champs already...

 

Yeap, the Stars beat the 2022 and 2023 Stanley Cup winners. So time to beat the 2024 Stanley Cup champs !

 

[OccamsRazor]

Well that sucks.

[FD19372]

Either Draisaitl for the Oilers, or Benn for the Stars is going to win it.

Edited May 24 by FD19372

[OccamsRazor]

4 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Draisaitl for the Oilers, or Benn for the Stars are going to win it.

 

 

Robertson will net the GWer

[FD19372]

What a save by Oettinger on McDavid.

[SaucyJack]

5 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

What a save by Oettinger on McDavid.

’twas oettrageous!

[SaucyJack]

As Ernie Banks, “Mr Cub”, always said: “Hey hey!  Let’s play two (OTs) today!”

[Math]

The Stars always lose the game #1. So I don't understand the strategy to push it to the second OT at least...

[FD19372]

Really nice play and read by Bouchard, who finds McDavid alone in front of the net, and this time #97 makes no mistake. The Oilers win 3-2, in OT.

[JR Ewing]

 

-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was strong on the forecheck, beating Tanev. Bouchard with a fine pass to 97 for the winner.

-A lot will probably be made about Tanev being -3 on the night, but the scoring chances were pretty even for him out there: 15 SCF, 16 SCA. It was Duchene, Heiskanen and Stankoven who got caved.

-Skinner and Oettinger were both strong. Otter's save in OT1 was incredible, and looked a lot like the one Curtis Joseph made on Joe Nieweunduyk in 1997.

-When you see Evan Bouchard, he looks sort of low energy; almost like he's asleep, but you can't let it fool you. He scored 80 points in the regular season and is up to 21 in 13 playoff games this spring. Prime minutes, 18 Scoring Chances For, 8 Against, 7 High Danger Chances For, 0 against.

-Hintz possibly back for game 2, Henrique as well.

 

 

Edited May 24 by JR Ewing

[Brewin Flames]

 

[Tomdog]

Did anyone catch the confusion over the ot high stick penalty? 

The high stick was pretty obvious, but the penalty call seemed to be missed at first. Huge delay in the stop in play. Almost like the coaching staff got the call.

[JR Ewing]

31 minutes ago, Tomdog said:

Did anyone catch the confusion over the ot high stick penalty? 

The high stick was pretty obvious, but the penalty call seemed to be missed at first. Huge delay in the stop in play. Almost like the coaching staff got the call.

 

The refs missed it, but it was caught by one of the linesmen.

 

[Math]

- The terrible stat for the Stars: 0/5 on the PP. No way you can win with this effeciency. They hit the post twice during the OT double minor but I was sure that if they missed that opportunity, they would lose.

- The Oilers had more scoring chances and were in control most of the game. On the Stars' side: too many turnovers, bad sync overall, rough game by Tanev and Harley behind. That was one of their most lopsided showing in these playoffs.

- Yeap, the Oilers can defend and they are not that open-bar seen two years ago anymore. They were very efficient in clogging the center and the crease while blocking shots and line of passes. The Stars struggled a lot to enter the critical zone when they could have dangerous scoring chances, and when they did they took bad decisions.

- It's sad to come to this conclusion but Pavelski is done. He's by far the worst forward of the team but he's unscratchable. Usually, older players do not have the legs anymore but still have the hands and the vision. Pavelski has nothing left of that.

- And of course, it's never a good idea to let McDavid all alone in the crease. The Öttinger/Tanev robbery in 1OT was a warning, the second occasion is the judgement.

[mojo1917]

It's funny that as I've aged, the west coast hockey teams may as well be playing in a different country.

Last night was the 3rd time this season I've been able to watch the Oil, and that makes me a little sad because... Damn is their penalty kill fun to watch.

 

That was a pretty entertaining game. 

I hope the series goes at least 6 because if the rest of the games are like that, I'll be entertained for sure.

[JR Ewing]

28 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

It's funny that as I've aged, the west coast hockey teams may as well be playing in a different country.

Last night was the 3rd time this season I've been able to watch the Oil, and that makes me a little sad because... Damn is their penalty kill fun to watch.

 

That was a pretty entertaining game. 

I hope the series goes at least 6 because if the rest of the games are like that, I'll be entertained for sure.

 

It's an advantage I get living on the west coast: I get to catch an eastern game and then a western game during the season, and I don't have to stay up late to do it.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, mojo1917 said:

It's funny that as I've aged, the west coast hockey teams may as well be playing in a different country.

Last night was the 3rd time this season I've been able to watch the Oil, and that makes me a little sad because... Damn is their penalty kill fun to watch.

 

That was a pretty entertaining game. 

I hope the series goes at least 6 because if the rest of the games are like that, I'll be entertained for sure.

 

Same here regarding times.

The DVR is my friend in this case, so, as long as I avoid sports outlets until I can watch the game, I am good.
That is how I watched yesterday's game...via DVR this morning as it was playing in the background while I got my family's stuff ready....recorded the final period and the overtimes.

Game was nuts....both sides could have claimed victory well before it actually ended, but the hockey gods decided they needed to string both fanbases along some more before The Oil made good on their latest chance!

[NHL HHOF]