*** 2021-22, 2nd Round SC Playoffs: Edmonton Oilers (P2) at Calgary Flames (P1)- (EDM WINS 4-1) ***

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

Season Series....Who won it?
Series was split, 2-2-0

Battle of Alberta is on!
To the surprise of more than a few people, both the Oilers and Flames had some trouble with their first round opponents before finally getting the job done in 7 games apiece.

Granted, the Oilers' opponent, the LA Kings, are themselves a team that some view as up n coming with a promising young core developing, so pushing Edmonton was, to some, not really a stretch.
And the Flames dealt with what I believe was, and has been all season, a very underrated (and maddeningly enigmatic) Dallas Stars team, who, during that 7 game joust with Calgary, rode the back of their 22 year old netminder, Jake Öttinger.

Both leave R1 with victories and now face each other in what probably will the most meaningful set of games these two clubs have had against one another in quite a number of years.
Will this series live up to the billing? That is what everyone in Western Canada wants to know.....and, diehard hockey fans all over as well.

Oilers, Flames... Alberta's major league hockey teams square off for bragging rights....and the right to move on to the Western Finals.

Series talk, right here!
Let your prediction known in the poll before it closes! 

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Rat Trick]

Just like the other three 2nd round series this one I think will be extended to the brink. McDavid and Draisaitl will provide some offense for the Oilers , but it will be the physical play and the defense of the Calgary Flames and the play of Johnny Hockey and Matthew Tkachuk who will make a difference in this series. These goalies in this series can also be inconsistent so there could be some scoring in this series. 

 

Flames take this in 7 games. 

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

Another one going to the limit. I picked the Flames to reach the SC final and I think goaltending and defence will make the difference. Flames in 7.

[Buffalo Rick]

Flames in 6.  A goalie that stood on his head like the one Dallas had I do not see Edmonton duplicating.  Calgary are the deeper team and the better team regardless of the two big guns Edmonton has.  

[JR Ewing]

My heart says Oilers in 6, but my head says Flames in 5.

 

[All Hail Cale]

On paper the Flames overall are the better team , but when a team has McDavid and Draisaitl and add Yamamota, E. Kane, Hyman, Nugent Hopkins, Nurse and even the old man Mike Smith.  McDavid is on a mission to take the Oilers deep into these playoffs and he will carry them on their backs in this series. Edmonton will grab a game in Calgary and win this series in 6. 

[Brewin Flames]

Mike Smith is not Jake Ottenger, Flames in 5.

[All Hail Cale]

Jake Oettinger played out of his head in the 1st round. What Mike Smith brings is a ton of experience and a lot of time in the net. He will need a lot of help from his defense which I think will step up because I feel the offense will give them time to settle in. McDavid and Draisaitl are going to work some magic to ease some of the tension off the Edmonton defense and Mike Smith. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Alright....so, on paper, and outside of the Oilers' big two players, Calgary seems to have the edge everywhere.
They are certainly coming in favored to win, and I don't blame the odds makers for making that so.

In terms of 1st round success, Edmonton showed they CAN break through tough defense, as they did with the Kings.
Calgary had a bit of trouble with Dallas, due to one Mr. Jake O who was fantastic, and thus that series was pretty low scoring, so tough to gauge the Flames' scoring ability, though obviously, they have guns.

Playoff teams are more than just one player or two. And the Flames are certainly built for this time of year, while it remains to be seen if Edmonton truly is.
But...I NEED to pick an upset special every playoff round!

My first round upset special (Wsh over Fla) didn't work out, and in Round 2, the best upset special is right here in Alberta  

McDavid and Draisaitl can be ice hockey monsters...and I say their play will infect their teammates, seeing a couple have breakout playoff runs (looking at YOU Nurse, Pulju, and Yamamoto!)....Mike Smith has annexed the fountain of youth and plays like he's 25 years old in this series, and the Oilers...yes, the Oilers will stun the hard nosed Calgary Flames in 6!

[SaucyJack]

4 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Did anyone tell Smith they were starting this game?

I’m sorry…isn’t this just the dress rehearsal?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Smith goes out, time for the Oilers to go shopping at Koskinen's, and Connor McDavid scores a quick one to get his team on the board and possibly fired up and focused on game time....not breakfast in the morning!

3-1 game

[Math]

These defenses súck ! Too bad we didn't pass the Flames, we would've easily swept the Oilers 

[All Hail Cale]

Something tells me there are gonna be some more goals tonight from these two teams. 

[Math]

Just noticed Lucic is still on the Oilers' payroll...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Someone tell the Oilers this is NOT a bake off and stop it with the apple puck turnovers....

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, Math said:

Just noticed Lucic is still on the Oilers' payroll...

 

Classic double agent  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I'm no Lucic fan, but I gotta say...him hitting McDavid hard like that is genius.

Serve notice to the Oilers that NO ONE on their team is untouchable.
Got McD fired up too....though I am pretty sure no one on the Oilers wants to see McD and Lucic square off.

Hell, even if both McDavid and Lucic get taken off for roughing, that is a win all day for Calgary.
Again...brilliant tactic bashing on the Edmonton captain to raise the temperature of the room a degree or three.

[All Hail Cale]

McDavid is not Sidney Crosby who takes a hit and crumbles and cries. He can take a hit and that can even turn his game even up an extra notch. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

4 minutes ago, All Hail Cale said:

McDavid is not Sidney Crosby who takes a hit and crumbles and cries. He can take a hit and that can even turn his game even up an extra notch. 

 

I agree McD has lots of fire in him (Crosby does too...let's not kid ourselves), but I just hope McDavid doesn't pull a Nathan MacKinnon...fancying  himself a Krzysztof Oliwa type and start dropping the gloves and hurting his hands.

Especially against a cement head like Milan Lucic.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Uh oh...

That Blake Coleman championship pedigree is NOW paying off for Calgary.
Ordinary during the regular season, but comes alive in the playoffs as the games get bigger.

It's what he did for TB, and the Flames paid him handsomely to come over and do the same for them.
He is this game.

[All Hail Cale]

1 minute ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

I agree McD has lots of fire in him (Crosby does too...let's not kid ourselves), but I just hope McDavid doesn't pull a Nathan MacKinnon...fancying  himself a Krzysztof Oliwa type and start dropping the gloves and hurting his hands.

Especially against a cement head like Milan Lucic.

There are certain players who should leave the fighting to those Goon type players on the team and McDavid is one of those. MacKinnon is also one of those as well. Then there are players like Matthew Tkachuk who is a goal scorer and can mix it up. So there are some that can do it, but the real big names shouldn't be dropping the gloves. Even Alex Ovechkin who dropped Svechnicov that one game even though Andrei is not a fighter at all. Ovechkin also should not be fighting. 

[Math]

If the trend continues, Calgary will record more than 60 SOG while winning 17-5, and Kosninen will have a better SV% than Markström...

[All Hail Cale]

Is this an All Star Game? So much scoring.  Where the hell is the defense?

Edited May 19, 2022 by All Hail Cale

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Zach Hyman makes this a game once again.
6-4 Flames.

Normally, if you can score 4 against Calgary, you are doing pretty well....but EDM still has to come up with at least 3 more, possibly more, if they are gonna pull this one out.

And Koskinen's needs to quit having scoring sales....

Edited May 19, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Oilers makes this uber interesting now as the 2nd period winds down.

They are now just one shot away from erasing the deficit.