Fall guy or culprit...hard to say, but a fresh start for the franchise that should have at the very least made the playoffs...although I didn;t see them getting past COL, but then again, the SLB last night showed they can be beaten, so there's that.
Golden Knights center Jack Eichel played the final two months with a broken thumb, McPhee said on the podcast.
Eichel sustained the injury March 17 against Florida when he blocked a shot and didn't miss a game.
(05-27-2022 05:59 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: also wouldn't have thought Edmonton would have won 4-1 over Flames.
That's why they play the games, though.
Canes oilers ii D
One of the best Stanley Cup Finals ever. A matchup no one would've predicted before that season -- or even when the 8-seed Oilers were down 3-1 to the powerhouse Red Wings.
Quote:Through 76 games of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, there have been 41 empty-net goals scored, setting an NHL postseason record. According to the league, the previous mark was 36 empty-netters, which was set twice: in the 2017-18 season in 84 games, then matched in the 24-team 2019-20 postseason in 130 games.
Last season, there was one player with multiple empty-net goals: Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon with three. This season, through two rounds, there are already four: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev, New York Rangers forward Andrew Copp, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat and Oilers forward Evander Kane.
In total, 37 different players have at least one empty-net goal in this postseason....
COL settled waaaaay down in Game 2, and in a brief 2:04, scored 3 of the 4 goals to shutout the POilers in Game 2 headed now to Edmonton.
Gretzky looks weird with his suddenly way-too-dark hair sitting in the booth. Can't tell if it's a dye-job or a Hair Club wig, but he doesn't look like himself.
Meanwhile, TB did not benefit from the long layoff after sweeping FLA and is own a game going into tonight's Game 2 with the rangers. Gallant looks like he's vindicated himself from Vegas letting him go.
Then, would any of you have had Rangers going up 2 games to nil in the East Final?
Edit: well, TB just scored with 2:02 left in 3rd to make it a 2-3 deficit.
Edit2: gotta hand it to Shesterkin, he matched Vasilevskiy and then some.
Rangers up 2 games to nil heading to TB.
No surprise with Igor playing better than Vasilevsky. He is a contender for the Hart trophy though likely won’t win since he is a goaltender. And the Kid Line is stepping it up for the Rangers. Rangers have been tough at home - Tampa will have to win at least one at MSG
Initially looked good for the Oilers as they came out strong, and McDavid scored on the very first shot of the game. Kane's penalty as a doofus move but Edmonton stopped the first 3 'lanche power plays. Still COL came back and nailed the in and a likely spot in the Stanley Cup Finals barring a majo upset at this point.
Will be interesting to see if TB can rebound tomorrow night.
Then, would any of you have had Rangers going up 2 games to nil in the East Final?
Edit: well, TB just scored with 2:02 left in 3rd to make it a 2-3 deficit.
Edit2: gotta hand it to Shesterkin, he matched Vasilevskiy and then some.
Rangers up 2 games to nil heading to TB.
No surprise with Igor playing better than Vasilevsky. He is a contender for the Hart trophy though likely won’t win since he is a goaltender. And the Kid Line is stepping it up for the Rangers. Rangers have been tough at home - Tampa will have to win at least one at MSG
It didn't look like the Lightning were going to pull it out, bt they did. Still near-must-win for TB in Game 4.
Congrats to the 'Lanche. 6-5 winners in OT against an Oilers bunch who fought nobly but just didn't have enough in the end. For a while, it looked like they had this one on at home ice, when it as 4-2. Then, when they tied it at 5 near the end of regulation. Give COL credit for not panicking and hanging tough.
Props to Leon Draisaitl who played especially admirably despite injuries that had him literally hobbling on the ice throughout the game.
Quote:Draisaitl had been dealing with various ailments throughout the postseason, to the degree it was obviously limiting his mobility on the ice. And then Edmonton's top-line skater was hurt again in the second period of Game 4, laboring to the bench in apparent agony but refusing to leave the game. He barely missed a shift before adding a helper on Connor McDavid's goal, one of his four points on the night. Draisaitl trails only Wayne Gretzky now in most three-plus point playoff games (seven).
"There are lots of guys who go through painful things like that," Draisaitl said of his health. "I'm not going to make this about myself. There are lots of guys who play through injury."
Draisaitl and McDavid combined for seven points in Game 4 and finished the postseason with 32 and 33, respectively. Despite their efforts, Edmonton still fell short of its ultimate goal.
COL will get a longer layoff as they await the rusty TB and NYR series end.
Question is how long will the Avalanche have to wait for their next series?
Home ice has been huge this playoffs.
In Rangers games, home team has a record of 14-3 (with Rangers going 8-1 at home losing only the 3 OT 1st game against Pitt and outscoring opponent 35-16 in last 8 home games)
In Tampa games, home teams have been 9-5 (with Tampa going 5-1 at home losing only first home game against Toronto and outscoring opponent 21-9 in last 5 home game)
Tampa is going to need to hold serve at home and steal one at MSG.
(06-07-2022 10:51 AM)tribe_pride Wrote: Question is how long will the Avalanche have to wait for their next series?
Home ice has been huge this playoffs.
In Rangers games, home team has a record of 14-3 (with Rangers going 8-1 at home losing only the 3 OT 1st game against Pitt and outscoring opponent 35-16 in last 8 home games)
In Tampa games, home teams have been 9-5 (with Tampa going 5-1 at home losing only first home game against Toronto and outscoring opponent 21-9 in last 5 home game)
Tampa is going to need to hold serve at home and steal one at MSG.
Well...they got part one done tonght, sht down Rangers. 3-game series resumes Thurs in NY.
(06-07-2022 10:51 AM)tribe_pride Wrote: Question is how long will the Avalanche have to wait for their next series?
Home ice has been huge this playoffs.
In Rangers games, home team has a record of 14-3 (with Rangers going 8-1 at home losing only the 3 OT 1st game against Pitt and outscoring opponent 35-16 in last 8 home games)
In Tampa games, home teams have been 9-5 (with Tampa going 5-1 at home losing only first home game against Toronto and outscoring opponent 21-9 in last 5 home game)
Tampa is going to need to hold serve at home and steal one at MSG.
Well...they got part one done tonght, sht down Rangers. 3-game series resumes Thurs in NY.
Yep. Now they need to find a way to take one of two at MSG (not impossible but harder than at home)
And TB does just that. Imo unlikely that the Rangers come back after letting the Lightning off the hook in Game 3.
If the Stanley Cup Finals turn out to be TB/Colorado it's setting up for one helluva series, whereas Dallas and Montreal were Cinderella teams that were ultimately undermanned. The layoff for the Avs might hurt them though.
(06-10-2022 01:08 AM)Love and Honor Wrote: And TB does just that. Imo unlikely that the Rangers come back after letting the Lightning off the hook in Game 3.
If the Stanley Cup Finals turn out to be TB/Colorado it's setting up for one helluva series, whereas Dallas and Montreal were Cinderella teams that were ultimately undermanned. The layoff for the Avs might hurt them though.
Agreed Rangers have a tough hill to climb and not likely to do so.
Strome has to be kicking himself for missing this one late in the 3rd which would have made it 2-1 Rangers