The damage has been done. They say nothing has happened until someone wins on the road and now it has happened. The Oilers grabbed the momentum half way through the first on a gorgeous give and go, but a horrible penalty by Raffi Torres killed whatever momentum they gained when Stillman buried the one timer fifteen seconds into the power play.
The Canes penalty killing has been the difference this series, by far. As vaunted as the Oilers PK was coming in, the Canes PK has been even better. It's truly amazing and I know Edmonton has to feel snake bitten. Phenomenal stuff.
The Oilers carried the play in the first, but the Canes dominated the second. Markkanen played a great game, or there would have been three or four more goals. A bad turnover by Pronger turned into a Mark Recchi goal via a nice pass by Eric Staal.
There is something about Cam Ward that just calms me down. I expected to be much more anxious at the end of the game, but that kid is just amazing. I guess all of those goalie draft picks paid off JR. For those non-Canes fans who may be reading this... it's kind of an in-joke about drafting goalies. Rutherford always selects a goalie every draft. Almost like a good luck charm or something. I guess, in retrospect, it's a bit like panning for gold.
The Cup will be in the house on Wednesday. I'll be there with the hope that the Canes get the job done and end this series. I very much want this game to be the last live game in Edmonton before next season. Go Canes!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The NHL, Carolina Hurricanes, and the local rec league. Hockey thoughts from lifelong fan and average ice skater.
Carolina Hurricanes Playoff Race - Sports Club Stats
Hurricanes Feed
Hockey Blogs
- 850 the Buzz
- An Eye on the Canes
- Black Dog Hates Skunks
- Canes Country
- Carolina on Ice
- Casonblog
- End of the Bench
- Eye Candy
- Hurricanes Insider
- James Mirtle
- Japers' Rink
- Jes Golbez' Hockey Rants
- Kukla's Korner
- Lord Stanley's Blog
- NHL Now
- NHL Numbers
- Paper White is in Season
- Penalties and Parenthood
- Red and Black Hockey
- Southeast Shootout
- Storm Surge
- Stormbringer
- Sweet Tea, Barbeque, and Body Checks
- The Life and Times of a Caniac
- The Sliding Pokecheck
Blog Archive
-
▼
2006
(151)
-
▼
June
(46)
- More signings
- Game: NHL Ice Breaker
- On the road again
- Roster Status
- Kaberle signs
- Alexander Ovechkin
- Draft Breakdown
- NHL Draft
- Laviolette signed
- Luongo-Bertuzzi
- Brind'Amour signs extension
- NHL Awards
- Free agent updates
- Game 7 video
- And now for something completely different
- Offseason - Goalies
- Offseason - Forwards
- Offseason - Defense
- Twelve hours later
- Victory
- Just bring it
- SCF - Game 6
- Question: Do you play?
- SCF - Game 5
- CBC at the RBC
- Injuries
- Justin not Jason
- NHL Fan Faceoff Panel
- SCF - Game 4
- Winning mentality
- SCF - Game 3
- Edmonton forecast
- Game 3 preview
- SCF - Game 2
- OT: E-Town
- SCF - Game 1
- Food for thought
- Maggie the Macaque
- Twenty four hours
- Trolls part 2
- Trolls
- Ice Conditions
- To Edmonton fans
- To Buffalo fans
- ECF - Game 7
- Showdown
-
▼
June
(46)
10 comments:
Ward is the Conn Smythe winner for sure if the Canes can wrap it up.
Oil are against the wall - never count them out but they are in deep.
Maybe. Even though the Conn Smythe is for the entire post season, it would be hard to overlook his play in this series.
Coming into the series I understood it would be between he and Brindamour with Brindamour having the edge. I saw a little of each Canes' series and of course Ward was spelled by Gerber for a game here and there.
Generally if its close then the performance in the Final tilts it. Brindamour has been very good but without Ward's play I would submit that the series would be tied or even 3-1 Oilers. You might disagree but he has been the difference to me. In G1 when it was 3-0 he wouldn't let the Oil get that 4th goal. Last game he gave the Canes a chance to win. Even tonight you could say he was the difference. Markannen had a great game too but in a one goal game.
The thing is if the Oilers were to come back I have no idea who would win it - Roloson and Pronger were the top candidates. Probably Pronger or maybe still Ward.
Ward has definitely played his ass off, no doubt. What people who didn't really pay attention to the earler Canes series don't realize is that the times Ward was pulled was more of a factor of motivating the team rather than him playing poorly. I can definitely see Ward getting it.
If Carolina wins tomorrow, it'll be a tight one. I still think Brind'Amour getting a slight edge though. Too close to call.
Last one - then to bed.
I was aware of that - it was the Sabres series, was it not, where he had a decent game but lost and they played Gerber the next.
The thing is too is that even when he lets in a lot of goals he is Fuhr like - mudcrutch hates that (he's the stats guy - I'm sure you've read his stuff) but I believe in the truth of making the big save - in G1 he let in 3 - none were bad, mind you, and then didn't let in the next one. That's huge.
I'll defer to you on the choice - you obviously have seen a lot more Canes' games then I.
Its moot anyhow. Oilers in 7. ;)
I'm with you on the big save factor - it's all about momentum. Obviously, I'm not with you on the Oilers in 7. :-) My original prediction in the Fanhome pool was in Canes in 5.
I was 3 for 3 before this series.
Oil over Wings in 6. Check.
Oil over Sharks in 6. Check.
Oil over Ducks in 6. Check but in 5.
Oil over Canes in 6. Definitely not in 6 and probably not at all but never say never.
Enjoy Wednesday's game. But hopefully not too much.
Well, to be fair - I'm 3 for 3 with the Canes too. It's been a great series so far.
I agree with you Desdemona, and I even text messaged a friend -- "Oilers are too cute with their passes"
The goal was a thing of beauty that was started by one of those cutesy passes, but they went back to that too many times.
It's kinda like calling a fake punt on third down against the computer in Madden '02. You could score a touchdown that way once, maybe twice, but that's about it.
You know the power play is having problems when the normally slightly-biased announce team and analysts are making fun of it - calling in the Great One after Messier's advice "wasn't helping".
I actually think the idea they had - popping it to the middle - was a good one. They just couldn't execute it very well.
Post a Comment