Mmmmmmmm Sens fans tears truly are delicious, not quite as tasty as Boston fans tears but it's like steak vs lobster you can't go wrong with either.

Please keep blaming everything apart from your teams own play. It's the refs is it this time? In game one the penalty count was waht 6-1 for Ottawa and Montreal still won (without our top goal scorer and top defenseman.). Has the reffing been perfect? Of course not, refs suck in general. Has the refs bullshit been anywhere near costing or giving either team this series? Hell no.

Also to balance out the post a bit, as even though I'm a Montreal fan I try to not be overly biased and at least point out somethings against Montreal... A lot of Montreal fans are crying on other places about that hit on Beaulieu. From what I could tell it was a clean hit, suicide pass. Karlsson might have initiated contact a touch high but I don't think it was dirty, should not be penalized and definitely shouldn't be looked at for a suspension like some are trying to argue for around the internet.

Jer99

Canada8159 Posts

April 20 2015 11:02 GMT

#1923

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 13:48 GMT

#1924

oilers are back baby

Flaccid

8917 Posts

April 20 2015 16:17 GMT

#1925

On April 20 2015 03:19 sharkeyanti wrote:
For the past two year I've had Gamecenter Live. So my "second" team to watch has been the Oilers. I thought with all their talented prospects and Eakins they would be a fun and engaging team to follow.

If these are their main players:
F: McDavid, Eberle, RNH, Yakupov, Hall, Pouliot, Gordon, Roy, possibly Draisatl
D: Fayne, Klefbom, Marincin, Ference

It's hard to see them not improve. The defense is getting better for sure. They really need a coach that emphasizes structure. I know MacT has this whole vision of rekindling the 80's Oilers (how's that gone so far, dipshit?), but so many of the Oilers' problems stem from issues that have nothing to do with a player's talent level.

As much as I despise Oilers management, I really hope for relevant hockey in EDM.

Yeah, the dumpster fire in Edmonton hasn't been the fault of the players lately. And they were playing pretty good hockey once they were no longer being anchored down by the likes of Nikitin and Ference - both of whom have been abysmal.

They still need some help on defense, but running with Klefbom and Marincin combined with maybe getting some NHL-average goaltending will go a long, long way. Klefbom in and of himself was the highlight of this otherwise rough season. That and Nugent-Hopkins who, I thought, really came into his own this season. He's going to be a great player for a long time.

What's really exciting about having McDavid is what it might do for the attractiveness of the team to free-agents and potential coaches. "We need a guy to play on a line with Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall" is a pretty nice idea. They need another 2-way center for when injuries come, a legitimate starting goaltender, and defensive help - something veteran that can still play hockey (looking at you, Ference).

I was really impressed by Todd Nelson when he took over. That said, an experienced coach would make a huge difference. I'd like to see Nelson stay on in an associate role as so many players (Lander, Yakupov, Klefbom, Marincin) took huge steps forward once he was in charge. I'd hate to see that progress lost.

Anyways, fuck the rest of the NHL. The Oilers have a long history of being hated by every other fanbase - but that was because they were really, really good. Hopefully we can get back to that some day. The person I really feel good for is Taylor Hall. That guy has been killing himself trying to make this team win games and he has had zero reward for his efforts. Now he will get to play with a potential superstar center. Fuck yeah.

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

April 20 2015 16:29 GMT

#1926

On April 21 2015 01:17 Flaccid wrote:

Anyways, fuck the rest of the NHL. The Oilers have a long history of being hated by every other fanbase - but that was because they were really, really good.

30 years ago. Dont be like Katz. Recognize the reality that the Oilers have been at their very best a mediocre team in a weak NW division and then simply collapsed about 9 years ago as a relevant hockey team right after their fluke run.

Orcasgt24

Canada3238 Posts

April 20 2015 16:33 GMT

#1927

On April 21 2015 01:17 Flaccid wrote:
I was really impressed by Todd Nelson when he took over. That said, an experienced coach would make a huge difference. I'd like to see Nelson stay on in an associate role as so many players (Lander, Yakupov, Klefbom, Marincin) took huge steps forward once he was in charge. I'd hate to see that progress lost.

I actually want to keep him as head coach. This guy knows how to teach young players how to play. Almost as soon as he took over the guys who played on our AHL team improved 10 fold while everyone else showed slow and steady improvement. Every single facet of the team got better as the season went on after his hiring.

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 16:50 GMT

#1928

they were always my west team i liked. rooting against them is like rooting against the retard in gym class. dont be jerks

plus they have swell jerseys and i am eternally thankful for the 94 ny oilers

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 16:51 GMT

#1929

that being said, i dont know that this thread would be able to handle flaccid if the oil became dominant again. booze fueled posts everywhere. It definitely couldnt handle fake steve, but he's a mark ass bitch who only comes around to make shitty brackets these days

StarStruck

25339 Posts

April 20 2015 19:09 GMT

#1930

i'm starting to hate the fact the oilers keep getting top of the line picks and not doing anything with them. /facepalm. Cannot believe the Leafs actually lost the lotto.

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 19:30 GMT

#1931

NYR needs a W tonight. I was really hoping to go to Pittsburgh up 2-0 since I figured they would definitely drop one there, and I think the more open Pitt is forced to play the shittier they get.

Flaccid

8917 Posts

April 20 2015 19:36 GMT

#1932

This was probably the best piece I've read so far on the whole Oilers thing.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/what-we-learned--reconsidering-the-edmonton-oilers--failures-131926423.html

It's particularly nice in contrast to everything that has been on TSN - where they seem to be taking it personally that McDavid won't be playing for their beloved Leafs.

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 19:55 GMT

#1933

Lambert is kind of hit or miss sometimes but that was good. People who still pin the failures of the Oil on their young guns are silly. It's management 100%.

Also all the talk about how unfair it is that they got another #1 is silly too. The current system really is the most fair. The lotto means it isn't auto #1 if you tank, but it absolutely should be a bottom team that gets it.

Blisse

Canada3710 Posts

April 20 2015 20:06 GMT

#1934

The problem I have with Edmonton is not that they've been perpetually shitty, but that they've been getting top picks in the draft for like 6 years, which fucks over other teams from getting better. I don't expect getting 1st overall to be a quick bandaid, but that's 4 first overalls in Edmonton that could've helped teams like Arizona or Leafs or Carolina not be so shitty, all the while Edmonton still sucks, and gets another first pick the next year.

I'm not old enough to hate Edmonton for the Gretzky era, but I'm jaded enough as a Leafs fan that it's become annoying to continually get 4th to 10th picks while being shitty while Edmonton gets 4 1st picks and is still shittier and in a better position to get another 1st round pick than the Leafs. It is totally unfair and you've got to be joking me if you honestly believe the Oilers should be stockpiling 4 1st overalls like this instead of having the talent distributed across all the other low end teams in the league. Just because you have shit management doesn't mean you deserve "justice" in the form of 4 1st overalls.

Sub40APM

6336 Posts

April 20 2015 20:08 GMT

#1935

I am not so sure about the bottom team getting it, imo the 9th team should get the highest seed as a reward for actually putting up a fight. Oilers have been circling the toilet bowl for a while because as everyone withe eyes can see their owner and executives are all idiots. The fans are to blame for this too, by slavishly going to the games while Katz literally shits in their mouths every season they support the dumb situation.

QuanticHawk

United States32157 Posts

April 20 2015 20:21 GMT

#1936

30-17 helps parity way more than 17-30 and that's the entire point of it. Doing it in reverse simply would reward better teams and create a further divide between the shit ass teams and the good ones. If it were about rewarding success the cup winners would pick first.

I wouldn't say the Oil 'deserve' first or anything like that, but none of the other teams do either. It's a weighted lottery so that teams have an opportunity to get it. Again, keeping in mind that the goal is parity, what other system is better?

GolemMadness

Canada11044 Posts

April 20 2015 22:55 GMT

#1937

If first overall went to the top team that didn't make the playoffs, it'd be teams like Boston or LA getting it. Fuck that.

Velitation

Canada224 Posts

April 20 2015 23:04 GMT

#1938

Best news that Oilers fans could hear:

Bob Nicholson appointed CEO of Oilers, includes supervising hockey operations
http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=764212&navid=DL|EDM|home

Hopefully that means that Lowe's responsibilities are being weaned out.

Tephus

Cascadia1754 Posts

April 20 2015 23:05 GMT

#1939

There were some perhaps interesting suggestions along the lines of ranking teams in points since elimination. There are other possibilities out there.