For the record, I do not claim to be a die-hard hockey fan. I have never played hockey - in fact, I doubt I can even skate, and I have not been an avid NHL-follower my whole life. I don't own any NHL jerseys, cards, or other memorabilia save for an Oilers' T-shirt. I also do not claim to be an expert hockey analyst, but I know how the game works. I simply claim to be an Oilers fan. So, please, correct my mistakes should I make any. Enlighten me.Although Edmonton-born, I am not exactly Edmonton-raised. As such, my fondest hockey memories do not originate from the Oilers' famous dynasty. Besides, having been born in 1986, I did not witness the Stanley Cup wins of 1984 and 1985, and having lived in Ottawa from 1987-1993 I didn't have a hometown team to get behind (nor do I think I would have fully understood hockey at those ages).
Thus, when my family moved to the Lower Mainland of B.C. in 1993, I was inducted into Vancouver Canuck fandom. In the 1993-1994 season, the playoff format became what is now known as, and the seventh-seeded Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. I can recall one night against Calgary in the first round straining to stay awake to see the outcome of the double OT game. Then there were the Canuck Days at school when everyone would don Canuck colours, which were red, black and yellow at the time. I can remember the Cup Run -related graffiti on all the fences lining my walk to school. And the sleepovers where my fellow third-graders would drool over their Pavel Bure collector coins: "He's dreamy." Yeah, he was also super-fast and super-skilled. That's when I developed a soft spot for goaltenders, awed by Kirk McLean's performance, and when I forged my admiration for Trevor Linden.
By the time we moved back to Edmonton in 1997, the Canucks were still making the playoffs, but were failing to live up to their 1994 success, and the Oilers were settling into their routine: barely making the playoffs and ultimately losing to the Dallas Stars early on. So I went from a satisfied Canuck fan to a frustrated but loyal Oilers fan. (Note: I have a trend of supporting teams in my locale, but I don't stop supporting teams I formerly had. And were I to move to Calgary, there is no chance in hell I would cheer for the Flames.) As the TV coverage of Oilers' games increased with the likes of the newly established A-Channel and Sportsnet, my love for the Oilers grew, yet so did my frustration with their far from impressive seasons. By the time the lockout hit, I was addicted to hockey and thought I wouldn't be able to survive a whole season without my beloved Oilers (although the lack of hockey helped me focus on academics). So, when the lockout ended and the entirely new season started, I was elated. Not only was hockey back, it was better. The Oilers' season looked promising... three games in, that is. I found myself back to being frustrated, and I was unsure of their postseason chances. But look where they are now.
It would be pointless for me to recap the Oilers' first two series wins. Fresh off their Conference title victory against Anaheim, I have to say that I was not as impressed with their play as I was against San Jose. I think fatigue became a factor and I think changing their lineup (putting in Dvorak and Torres) in Game 4 was detrimental. I also think that we would have been in trouble had the Ducks looked like they did in Game 4 throughout the series. That kind of play allowed them to sweep Colorado. But, of course, I don't want to take anything away from their win. In the end, effort counts for nothing and winning means everything, right?
Like I said, I am no expert analyst. I am curious to see how this Final pans out. I know that Eastern Conference hockey is different from Western Conference hockey. In general, it seems to be more about speed,finesse, and transition in the East, relative to the more defensive, grinding, forechecking hockey I have become accustomed to in the West. I have been trying to watch the Carolina-Buffalo series as much as possible to get a feel for their style, shaping up the competition, as it were. While my Dad thinks the Western grit is going to bull-doze the Eastern grace, I don't know how feel. I think the Oilers are going to have to play as physically as they did against San Jose from Game 3 onwards to get their momentum going. If they meet Buffalo, I can foresee problems handling Afinogenov and Briere, but I see their crumbling defence corps as an advantage. If they meet Carolina, I think matchups will be key. I think Carolina has three lines that are equally threatening. But I do see their goaltending situation something to exploit; the Oilers saw something similar with Bryzgalov and Giguere against Anaheim.
I will make no predictions, but I do think I have a fairly reliable sense of how a game will end up about two hours before puck-drop. It hasn't failed me yet. I even predicted the narrow squeak past Anaheim in Game 3, not having felt a strong sense of victory earlier that day. So even when they were up 4-0, I knew it was far from over.
Likewise, this Oilers playoff run is far from over. Unimaginable and wondrous as it has been, losing doesn't seem like an option: a loss
will be disappointing. Right now, I am feeling nostalgic regarding the Canucks' Cup run of '94: the warmer, almost-summer evenings, watching a hockey game as the sun sets, feeling the city buzz everytime we score, horns honking, crowds celebrating. I know there are fans out there feeling the same but in regards to the Oilers' dynasty. Victory in the Final will allow the Oilers to enshrine both of those feelings in a cup,
the Cup, a relic we can hopefully continue worshipping into a new dynasty.
GO OILERS GO!!!
This post was inspired by this post from this blog, which is also a useful portal to other Oilers- and hockey-related blogs.
