Kevin
06-09-2006, 06:56 PM
<b><a href="http://www.beted.com/home.aspx?AgentID=BJMULTCtextpr">betED</a> - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!</b>
<b>June 7th, 2006 - Edmonton in six?</b>
The fine folks here at <a href="http://www.beted.com/home.aspx?AgentID=BJMULTCtextpr">betED</a> were kind enough to point out to me that had we picked the Oilers at the beginning of the season to win the Stanley Cup, we could have had them at 80-1 odds. Had we all looked north to Edmonton just a few weeks ago at the start of the playoffs, we could have locked them in at 50-1.
In other words, this team has been bucking the odds since last October.
They wouldn’t have it any other way it appears. For this team, adversity breeds success. The Oilers say the loss of Dwayne Roloson, and his 12 wins that helped them get to the Stanley Cup final, is simply a setback.
Ty Conklin, who took Roloson’s spot in goal for the first time since April 17th, then promptly gave up the winning goal to Rod Brind'Amour with 32 seconds left in regulation time, says he’s looking at the current situation as “an opportunity.”
Conklin’s goalie partner Jussi Markkanen hasn’t played a second in the post-season, (in fact he hasn’t played at all since March 3rd ), yet that’s not worrying his teammates.
"It's devastating for Roli and we feel for him on a personal level," said Ethan Moreau.
"We have a lot of confidence in Jussi and Conks. They've had trying years, but we're very confident in our ability to play well with those guys in the net."
Brave words? Sure. However, Moreau probably knows that his team has history, both recent and past, on its side.
The Oilers have been through goalie injuries before. After Game 3 of the 1984 Stanley Cup final, Andy Moog had to replace an injured Grant Fuhr, and the Oilers got the final two victories they needed against the New York Islanders. Cup number one.
Six years later, it was Bill Ranford who had to take over from Fuhr at the start of Edmonton's playoff run. He ended up earning the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Oilers won Cup number five.
Therefore, it’s almost fitting that this year’s Conn Smythe candidate, Roloson goes down just when the team needed him most.
Then there is the daunting stat regarding a game one victory in the Stanley Cup finals. Since the NHL introduced the best-of-seven format in 1939, teams winning game one have gone on to win the championship in 51 of the 66 seasons.
One of the few teams who have bucked that trend? The Oilers. They lost the first game of the 1985 Cup final to the Philadelphia Flyers. They then went on to win four straight games for Cup number two.
Despite all that, fans of Edmonton are asking themselves how their team can possible overcome the way they lost on Monday night. It was reminiscent of Steve Smith, who cost the Oilers a chance to win five Stanley Cups in a row in 1986 when he scored on his own net in Game 7 of a series against the Calgary Flames. Conklin may not have scored on his own net, but it was just about as close as he could get.
Conklin didn't notice Jason Smith was behind the net with him and, played the puck off the Oilers captain and right on to the stick of Rod Brind'Amour. Brind'Amour took one step and wrapped it around into the empty net. Immediately afterwards Conklin faced the music and the media.
"I didn't make the play quickly. That was a mistake. It's not a mistake I'd normally make.''
The season following the Steve Smith’s infamous goal, the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup. When the Cup was handed to then team captain Wayne Gretzky, Gretzky promptly handed it over to Steve Smith to start the traditional skate around the rink with the Cup.
Conklin’s gaff wasn’t in a game seven. It was in a game one. The Oilers weren’t eliminated. History says they’re just getting started. What would be more fitting than Oilers captain Steve Smith repeating Gretzky’s gesture and handing the Cup off to his partner in crime of Monday night, Ty Conklin.
Edmonton in six probably sounds like a bold prediction considering the kick to Edmonton’s collective crotch on Monday night.
Maybe it is, but consider this:
To paraphrase the poet Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana, if you cannot learn from the past you are condemned not to profit from it.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at <a href="http://www.beted.com/home.aspx?AgentID=BJMULTCtextpr">betED</a>!
<b>June 7th, 2006 - Edmonton in six?</b>
The fine folks here at <a href="http://www.beted.com/home.aspx?AgentID=BJMULTCtextpr">betED</a> were kind enough to point out to me that had we picked the Oilers at the beginning of the season to win the Stanley Cup, we could have had them at 80-1 odds. Had we all looked north to Edmonton just a few weeks ago at the start of the playoffs, we could have locked them in at 50-1.
In other words, this team has been bucking the odds since last October.
They wouldn’t have it any other way it appears. For this team, adversity breeds success. The Oilers say the loss of Dwayne Roloson, and his 12 wins that helped them get to the Stanley Cup final, is simply a setback.
Ty Conklin, who took Roloson’s spot in goal for the first time since April 17th, then promptly gave up the winning goal to Rod Brind'Amour with 32 seconds left in regulation time, says he’s looking at the current situation as “an opportunity.”
Conklin’s goalie partner Jussi Markkanen hasn’t played a second in the post-season, (in fact he hasn’t played at all since March 3rd ), yet that’s not worrying his teammates.
"It's devastating for Roli and we feel for him on a personal level," said Ethan Moreau.
"We have a lot of confidence in Jussi and Conks. They've had trying years, but we're very confident in our ability to play well with those guys in the net."
Brave words? Sure. However, Moreau probably knows that his team has history, both recent and past, on its side.
The Oilers have been through goalie injuries before. After Game 3 of the 1984 Stanley Cup final, Andy Moog had to replace an injured Grant Fuhr, and the Oilers got the final two victories they needed against the New York Islanders. Cup number one.
Six years later, it was Bill Ranford who had to take over from Fuhr at the start of Edmonton's playoff run. He ended up earning the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Oilers won Cup number five.
Therefore, it’s almost fitting that this year’s Conn Smythe candidate, Roloson goes down just when the team needed him most.
Then there is the daunting stat regarding a game one victory in the Stanley Cup finals. Since the NHL introduced the best-of-seven format in 1939, teams winning game one have gone on to win the championship in 51 of the 66 seasons.
One of the few teams who have bucked that trend? The Oilers. They lost the first game of the 1985 Cup final to the Philadelphia Flyers. They then went on to win four straight games for Cup number two.
Despite all that, fans of Edmonton are asking themselves how their team can possible overcome the way they lost on Monday night. It was reminiscent of Steve Smith, who cost the Oilers a chance to win five Stanley Cups in a row in 1986 when he scored on his own net in Game 7 of a series against the Calgary Flames. Conklin may not have scored on his own net, but it was just about as close as he could get.
Conklin didn't notice Jason Smith was behind the net with him and, played the puck off the Oilers captain and right on to the stick of Rod Brind'Amour. Brind'Amour took one step and wrapped it around into the empty net. Immediately afterwards Conklin faced the music and the media.
"I didn't make the play quickly. That was a mistake. It's not a mistake I'd normally make.''
The season following the Steve Smith’s infamous goal, the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup. When the Cup was handed to then team captain Wayne Gretzky, Gretzky promptly handed it over to Steve Smith to start the traditional skate around the rink with the Cup.
Conklin’s gaff wasn’t in a game seven. It was in a game one. The Oilers weren’t eliminated. History says they’re just getting started. What would be more fitting than Oilers captain Steve Smith repeating Gretzky’s gesture and handing the Cup off to his partner in crime of Monday night, Ty Conklin.
Edmonton in six probably sounds like a bold prediction considering the kick to Edmonton’s collective crotch on Monday night.
Maybe it is, but consider this:
To paraphrase the poet Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana, if you cannot learn from the past you are condemned not to profit from it.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at <a href="http://www.beted.com/home.aspx?AgentID=BJMULTCtextpr">betED</a>!