I've watched portions of pretty much every Edmonton Oilers game this postseason, and I am in love. Maybe not as much as my previously-declared love for the impossibly lovable Phoenix Suns... but they are far and away the team I've been behind from the get-go. I'm glued to their bandwagon.
I don't think their run is a fluke by any means. In fact, I think they're headed to the Cup Finals. They're not your typical #8 seed. They made a run to get the #8 seed in the first place by making two spectacular acquisitions at the trade deadline... starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson (former 1B of the perennial Minnesota Wild goalie controversy) and former Bruin Sergei Samsonov. Sammy has been a contributor, but Roloson has been a force of nature. His emergence is living proof that a team's success hinges on its goalie situation. He keeps the games close enough that the young Oiler scorers (forwards Shawn Horcoff, Raffi Torres, Fernando Pisani,defenseman Jarret Stoll [EDIT 5.17.06: I'm an idiot.]) and the veterans (Ryan Smyth, Jason Smith, all-world defenseman Chris Pronger) can grit their way to opportunistic goals.
My main reason for loving Edmonton is how you can see their fans shaking the arena. I defy you to watch Game 6 tomorrow night and not come away impressed. It's like a time machine... journey back to the days when real sports fans could afford tickets! Actual fans at a playoff game instead of their bosses! Rexall Place reminds me of what the Boston Garden looked like on TV during the 1980's. The fans at Rexall are practically dangling over the ice, screaming their heads off, hollering and hand-waving all game long. On TV, it looks absolutely terrifying. It's tough to blame either team for having fallen apart when faced with the mighty Edmonton fan base.
The goalies took it worst of all. Oiler fans' orchestrated taunts of Red Wings goalie Manny Legace brought a tear to my eye. Downright masterful. Toskala is definitely playing like a hexed goalie right now. He was red-hot going into Game 3, but since then he's played like he's seen the Ring. Dead man walking. Manny Legace was awful too, though in his defense it's difficult to play goal when your pants are filled with poop... even your own. I think Detroit's equipment manager is still soaking Legace's boxer-briefs in Woolite, and the series ended two weeks ago. It's like the old Bill Cosby one-liner about one's intestinal response to a car accident: "first you say it... then you do it!"
Anyway, it all bodes well for Game 6 in Edmonton. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's by no means a done deal, but the Sharks look overdone. You can see the fork sticking out of Toskala's back.
I don't think their run is a fluke by any means. In fact, I think they're headed to the Cup Finals. They're not your typical #8 seed. They made a run to get the #8 seed in the first place by making two spectacular acquisitions at the trade deadline... starting goaltender Dwayne Roloson (former 1B of the perennial Minnesota Wild goalie controversy) and former Bruin Sergei Samsonov. Sammy has been a contributor, but Roloson has been a force of nature. His emergence is living proof that a team's success hinges on its goalie situation. He keeps the games close enough that the young Oiler scorers (forwards Shawn Horcoff, Raffi Torres, Fernando Pisani,
My main reason for loving Edmonton is how you can see their fans shaking the arena. I defy you to watch Game 6 tomorrow night and not come away impressed. It's like a time machine... journey back to the days when real sports fans could afford tickets! Actual fans at a playoff game instead of their bosses! Rexall Place reminds me of what the Boston Garden looked like on TV during the 1980's. The fans at Rexall are practically dangling over the ice, screaming their heads off, hollering and hand-waving all game long. On TV, it looks absolutely terrifying. It's tough to blame either team for having fallen apart when faced with the mighty Edmonton fan base.
The goalies took it worst of all. Oiler fans' orchestrated taunts of Red Wings goalie Manny Legace brought a tear to my eye. Downright masterful. Toskala is definitely playing like a hexed goalie right now. He was red-hot going into Game 3, but since then he's played like he's seen the Ring. Dead man walking. Manny Legace was awful too, though in his defense it's difficult to play goal when your pants are filled with poop... even your own. I think Detroit's equipment manager is still soaking Legace's boxer-briefs in Woolite, and the series ended two weeks ago. It's like the old Bill Cosby one-liner about one's intestinal response to a car accident: "first you say it... then you do it!"
Anyway, it all bodes well for Game 6 in Edmonton. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's by no means a done deal, but the Sharks look overdone. You can see the fork sticking out of Toskala's back.
posted by Jeff at
5:57 PM
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