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Oilers Defeat Canucks In Game 7 - Western Conference Finals Await |
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The Edmonton Oilers were the first team in this series to win two games in a row and they made it count when it was the most needed. The Oilers win 3-2 against the Canucks and move on to face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals.
From the moment the puck dropped, the Edmonton Oilers looked like a team that wanted to win this game while the Canucks looked like a team that was trying not to lose. Shift after shift, the Oilers attacked the Canucks with aggression, pouring shots on against Vancouver while the Canucks had no response of their own. As the first period was coming to a close, shots were 10-2 in favor of Edmonton.
Near the end of the period, Ryan McLeod took an unfortunate high sticking call, giving the Canucks a four minute penalty. Watching, it felt like we were going to have a typical Oilers moment, dominating the game but going into the second period down 1-0 with the shots 12-3 in favor of Edmonton.
Instead, the penalty kill was perfect, aggressive, and prevented the Canucks from entering the zone at nearly every turn, blocking the few shots that went through. The Connor Brown breakaway (which of course of any player it was going to be Connor Brown) was the first shot by either team on that Vancouver powerplay.
The score was still tied though after the first 20 minutes due entirely to a phenomenal start by Arturs Silovs. The concern was the Canucks were going to regroup, start to attack more and find a way to get that first goal. That did not happen as Edmonton continued to attack. Cody Ceci opened the scoring followed by Evan Bouchard (was later credited to Zach Hyman), both scored at even strength. Eventually the Canucks started to find their game but for every shift that Vancouver found some rhythm, Edmonton attacked right back. A late powerplay goal in the second period by RNH seemed to all but seal victory for the Oilers.
Then came the last 10 minutes of the third period.
First off I want to say I thought Ryan McLeod was playing his best playoff game of the season before "the incident." The four minute penalty was not great but McLeod was aggressive, laying some hits, created some chances for Foegele and Ryan and was skating circles around the Canucks at both ends of the ice. Prior to Game 6, McLeod had not been on the ice for a single Canucks goal at 5 on 5. He might not have much scoring touch right now but defensively he has been sublime. The goal in Game 6 that he was on the ice for I put far more on Darnell Nurse for allowing Hoglander to take several shots while he was standing there.
This time the goal was 100% on McLeod. As the clock just ticked past the 10 minute mark, McLeod simply gives the puck away in his own end on a completely unforced turnover. The blueliners have left the zone because there is no reason to be concerned and Skinner is caught completely unaware. Suddenly it's a 3-1 goal and the building has life for Vancouver. Shortly after as the Canucks roared back, Evan Bouchard ices the puck on an unforced play as well. On the ensuing faceoff, Filip Hronek scores his first of the post-season and with just under 5 minutes of play remaining it is a one goal game.
Coach Knoblauch calls a time out while every single Oilers fan watching is Googling the phrase "how to know if you are having a heart attack." To Edmonton's credit, the whole team calmed down after this play and did not allow another shot on net for the remainder of the game.
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First off let me say thank you to all the Canucks fans who have been reading the blog and jumping into the comments to fire some chirps back and forth. The NHL is always better when a Canadian team makes it deep into the playoffs and this was a phenomenal series from Game 1 all the way through to Game 7. Hopefully this is the beginnings of a newly ignited rivalry between Edmonton and Vancouver for years to come.
Now the Edmonton Oilers will prepare to face off against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals. This is the first series in the playoffs where the Oilers will absolutely be the underdog. The Stars are by far the deepest team in the NHL from top to bottom. They have phenomenal goaltending, elite firepower, and depth scoring due to astute trades and excellent drafting. This is going to be an incredibly difficult series for the Oilers to win.
That being said, Edmonton also boasts the top 4 point producers in these playoffs thus far. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins are all leading the way for the Oilers. If Edmonton's best players continue to lead the way and if the whole team commits to a strong defensive game like they did in most of Game 7 than there is always a chance.
Tomorrow I'll post a blog breaking down the Oilers and Stars matchup in a bit more depth. Until then...
Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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