Carolina Vs. Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers are going to be playing the Carolina Hurricanes for the Stanley Cup. It's the first time the teams have played each other in the playoffs.
I'm very excited for this series for many reasons. One, is that both of these teams have not played each other this year. It's almost like MLB where the American and National Leagues are separate. The teams can only prepare for what they have seen on film, not just how they have played in the regular season. I believe that it will make coaching more important than ever before.
Doug Weight is making his return to Edmonton when he isn't in a Blues jersey and now he is going to play against them in the playoffs. After signing a large contract with the Blues, Oilers fans felt cheated and they have never forgotten that. Ever since, in Edmonton, Weight has been booed almost as much as Comrie. I can't wait for Dough Weight to be booed when he is along the half-boards on the powerplay in Edmonton. If you think it was loud in the regular season, imagine how loud it's going to be in the playoffs.
Carolina also has a few players that are from Edmonton and the Edmonton area. They include Mike Commodore, Ray Whitney and Cam Ward. My mom has even taught the first two at school, meaning they took Home Ec! It will perhaps give those players an advantage because they will be 'coming home' or it might give them added pressure.
Carolina has had to play Montreal, New Jersey and Buffalo. These teams are relatively close to each other compared the Oilers when they had to play the Red Wings, Sharks, and Ducks. It might be more difficult for the Hurricanes to adjust to extended travel time. The oilers, on the other hand, are used to it.
Finally, THE OILERS ARE IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS! That is the biggest reason to be excited. I even had to buy a car flag to show my support for the Oilers.
Starting Monday, Edmonton is going to be crazy, the atmosphere will be incredible, I'll be glued to my television with friends and family and Oilers fans from all over will be dissecting the series.
I can't wait for it to get started.
posted by David @ 8:38 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Should be an interesting series, and as a Canadiens fan, I have to admit, it will be a tough series to watch. If the Oilers win, I'll feel the scorn of every Oiler fan around me. If the Canes win, I have to see that rat Justin Williams, the same man who gouged out Saku Koivu's eye, lift the Cup over his head. Hopefully the Oilers win, and I only say that, because it would be a farce if the Cup was being paraded through Raleigh.
As for the Doug Weight storyline, I hope the Oilers' fans don't boo him. Why should they? It's not like he signed with the Blues as a free-agent, he was traded (Reasoner, Hecht, and Jan Horacek, a horrid return)! Granted, he was traded a year before he became a UFA and would probably have left, but who wouldn't? If you could make more money playing in a city that has a better chance at winning the Stanley Cup (St. Louis had a far greater chance than winning the Cup in the old CBA era than the Oilers ever did) and could make twice as much money (He made nearly 9 million/year I believe in St. Louis, whereas the Oilers were rumoured to have offered 4-4.5 million/year), who wouldn't take it? Sometimes, people clamour for loyalty, even when loyalty in this case would defy logic. Doug Weight should not be booed in this city. As a neutral observer (remember, I'm not an Oiler fan), Doug Weight was the face of small market hockey for 8 years. He was a player who truly enjoyed playing in this city, despite constant mediocrity, and always played hard and proudly. I still remember the 10 game winning streak the Oilers went on during the 2000-01 season, after Doug Weight held a team meeting in Florida. I remember when he put his neck on the line, and supported Mike Grier during his holdout. He was an inspiration to his teammates, a hero for the city of Edmonton, and was a prime example of somebody who accepted the plight of a small market team. I hope Oiler fans at Rexall on Saturday and Monday nights realize that, and don't go out of their way to boo somebody who represented them proudly for nearly a decade. Oiler fans should focus on the positive, that their team is on the verge of winning their 6th Stanley Cup, and not bring negativity into the building, based on irrational and compulsive desires to embarass somebody.
Any less of a farce than it was being paraded through Tampa Bay?
I have to agree, I had nothing but good feelings towards Doug Weight. He never let the team down and he was a solid captain. He's one of the grittiest players out there and there was never a moment when I didn't feel like he was proud to be playing for the Oilers. If anything, it was the organization that let him down and not the other way around. I don't think he'll be booed, but it's tough to tell in this kind of situation (especially since it's the ONLY situation of this type I've ever had a vested interest in). I will be a little disappointed in the fans if they boo him, especially after they showed so much class by not booing the star spangled banner after O Canada was booed in San Jose (and I'm not apologizing for that, just because I live here doesn't mean I'm one of them).
Anyway, here's to seeing the Cup back in the country (and the city) where it belongs.
i vote schremp for game 5
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