Congratulations to Hurricane fans!!!

[gooilers]

You guys stepped up and took a stranglehold on the series. You have an excellent opportunity to win the cup on home ice.

While my heart says that if any team can come back and win the next three games its the Oilers. But the reality is that they would have to play spectacular, and we havent seen that yet. The chances of them doing that are very slim. :hurl:

Kudos to Ward. He played excellent again last night! Also after we lost Roloson I thought that it was over for us. I was very surprised how Markannen really stepped up. Where was this during the regular season? Anyways even if we still had Roloson there is now way that that would have changed the outcome of these games.

I have a question for you guys though... Do you think that the Oil PP is the reason they cant score or is it that the 'Canes PP is just doing that good?

[Mona]

Thank you for your kind post. Our penalty kill has been excellent. Everyone has done their part to keep pucks out no matter what the cost.

[puck_it]

yeah i think it was like we only let two 5 on 3 goals by us? its nice to rest easy when you are 2 men down.

[Guyute]

OilerFan posted in the game thread about your guys not being able to deal with the point pressure from our kill. That's dead-on. Last night there was one point during your PP where 2 guys were at the same depth in the slot, but one on left side, one on right side. They were trying to work the puck into the middle... it just never really happened.

Your PP is dangerous, there's no doubt. But, if you can't beat the point pressure, you're toast. As we've seen.

[apolinar]

We've seen this high pressure penalty kill all year. In fact I was at one of the first practices where Laviolette was showing what he expected of guys on the PK when he showed them to skate directly toward the man on the point EVERY time on the 5/4, or whenever there was a chance on the 5/3.

Edmonton was being touted as a great PK team. We were never touted, but us fans and the team always knew it.

In the art of war, if you know yourself, but not your enemy, expect to be bushwackadack'd. edmonton thought they had it all with their PK. They do have a great one because it's limited us. But they forgot to look and see how dominant ours can be.

BTW, is anyone wondering if MacT is pissed Kevin Lowe keeps asking Mark messier for coaching advice on the PP? Could you imagine Ronnie telling JR what needs to be fixed, then JR telling PL what to do? BAD KARMA

[gooilers]

We've seen this high pressure penalty kill all year. In fact I was at one of the first practices where Laviolette was showing what he expected of guys on the PK when he showed them to skate directly toward the man on the point EVERY time on the 5/4, or whenever there was a chance on the 5/3.

Edmonton was being touted as a great PK team. We were never touted, but us fans and the team always knew it.

In the art of war, if you know yourself, but not your enemy, expect to be bushwackadack'd. edmonton thought they had it all with their PK. They do have a great one because it's limited us. But they forgot to look and see how dominant ours can be.

BTW, is anyone wondering if MacT is pissed Kevin Lowe keeps asking Mark messier for coaching advice on the PP? Could you imagine Ronnie telling JR what needs to be fixed, then JR telling PL what to do? BAD KARMA

Wasnt your penalty kill at 19th for the regular season? Then like low 80% wise coming into this series. Not saying thats bad, but I think we are making it look better then it is...Or you have just figured out Edmontons PP? Other teams have scored on your pk.

Either way its a big reason why you are up!!!

[apolinar]

Wasnt your penalty kill at 19th for the regular season? Then like low 80% wise coming into this series. Not saying thats bad, but I think we are making it look better then it is...Or you have just figured out Edmontons PP? Other teams have scored on your pk.

Either way its a big reason why you are up!!!

Right. Look at those numbers, vs what you actually saw during the games. Doesn't make sense does it? How can a middle of the road PK have such great defense against all those 5 on 3's? With pronger at the point? Out of curiousity do you have stats for oilers regular season for PK?

[OilerFan]

Why even play game 5...Our Wacko consipiracy theories were correct...the NHL WANTS the Canes to win the cup:

http://shop.nhl.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2347190

No...wait...they want the Oilers to win the cup:

http://shop.nhl.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2361242

MAKE UP YOUR MIND BETTMAN!!!

[puck_it]

not a bad lookin shirt... not great though.

[corylav]

I think Edmonton has come to rely on the "Get the puck to the point to Pronger" plan ... Lavi and the boys really sniffed it out and decided they were not going to allow Pronger to beat them on the PP.

It's kind of strange b/c coming in to the series the talk was the Oil's No. 1 PK vs. our No. 1 PP, and now the story has gone the other way.

In regards to the more anticipated special teams matchup, I think the coaches found a hole in the Oil PK with cross-ice passes in the middle of the zone. Kaberle's assist last night (and he's had a few like that this postseason) was the perfect example of what they've looked for on the PP in this series. Last series it was Staal from the point, this series it has been those cross-ice passes. The adaptibility of the Canes special teams is really a testament to what a job Lavi, Daniels and McCarthy have done.

[apolinar]

Why even play game 5...Our Wacko consipiracy theories were correct...the NHL WANTS the Canes to win the cup:

http://shop.nhl.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2347190

No...wait...they want the Oilers to win the cup:

http://shop.nhl.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2361242

MAKE UP YOUR MIND BETTMAN!!!

DO NOT LOOK! IT'S A BAD KARMA TRAP! IT'S LIKE TOUCHING THE CXP BEFORE YOU"VE WON! SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!!!!

[Guyute]

I don't think regular season percentages on PP/PK matter a lick anymore, but if you want to see stats, go to http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/stats
you can select by team and then PK, regular season... and get what you want. Or any other stat.
EDM's PK was slightly better than ours in the Reg Season.

Guess what, that's not helping them now.

I think Edmonton has come to rely on the "Get the puck to the point to Pronger" plan
abso-damn-lutely. And why wouldn't they? He is their QB... and with good reason. but, it makes for a pretty one dimensional unit, which is pretty easy to stop if you have the right players. It seems that we do. (or have up until now anyway)

[dakuwan]

DO NOT LOOK! IT'S A BAD KARMA TRAP! IT'S LIKE TOUCHING THE CXP BEFORE YOU"VE WON! SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!!!!

"I looked at the trap Ray!", but i looked at both so i negated myself :beatup:

[corylav]

Agreed that he's *the* guy, Guy :D

But Spacek is a pretty good point man and he's been relegated to moving the puck on the point. And Bergeron's not even playing, and he had eight PPG this season (just two less than Pronger).

Again, I'm tapping into regular season stats and we all know they mean nothing, but they've really abandoned Bergeron, IMO ... almost like they wanted to have some kind of scapegoat from the get-go in case they lost the series.

[AkIce]

I have to think our success is mostly due to our hard working PK. The regular season stat indicates a mediocare PK. The entire Playoffs we have been pretty stingy on the PK so I don't attribute our success in this series to Edmonton playing poorly on the PP. It is cliche but our guys really stepped it up in the Playoffs on the PK. They have that extra step that is realized by being half a body closer to the PP opponent and the stick is moving just that much more and they are willing to sacrifice the body that extra time. Add all that up and you have a PK that is tough to get around.

[Guyute]

they've really abandoned Bergeron, IMO ... almost like they wanted to have some kind of scapegoat from the get-go in case they lost the series.
fully agree. it's been in the back of my mind since he was sat for Game 3.
yet if it's a 3-2 series in their favor, I'd bet he'd be in there.

[OilerFan]

Thanks to you Canes fans...I think I've GOT IT!!!!

Oil need to dress seven defensemen. Bergeron ONLY on the PP because that is his one forte and he has what we need to fix the problem (a quick trigger from the blueline and is one of those shoot first, ask questions later, kind of guys instead of so many other players who hold onto the puck too long).

Sit Laraque and rotate wingers because with only three games left in the season at most...you shouldn't worry too much about rolling three lines.

[Solracer]

I abso-damn-lutely. And why wouldn't they? He is their QB... and with good reason. but, it makes for a pretty one dimensional unit, which is pretty easy to stop if you have the right players. It seems that we do. (or have up until now anyway)

The Oilers PP looks very simular to our PP from the dark years with Sean Hill at the point.

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Wonderful post, gooilers. Thanks for all the kindness. :)

To answer your question, my personal opinion is that it's a little bit of both. The Oilers and MacT tried to tweak their PP but something just isn't right about it. To me it centers too much around Stoll and Pronger, and they've just been passing it too much. I'm no great hockey expert or anything (though i try :beatup: ) but it's like they rely so much on one or two dudes to produce and then they all are jittery and nothing is working between the passing (not to mention lack of shots).

But then again the canes PK is just tremendous. It reminds me of when we played against Jersey. On more than one occasion we shut their PP DOWN and then ours just flourished. It's just like everyone says, the Canes play a better frenzied game, but though you wouldn't expect them to light it up while killing penalties, that seems to be what gets our guys going. :eek2: Haha! beats me, but dang, is it fun to watch

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Wonderful post, gooilers. Thanks for all the kindness. :)

To answer your question, my personal opinion is that it's a little bit of both. The Oilers and MacT tried to tweak their PP but something just isn't right about it. To me it centers too much around Stoll and Pronger, and they've just been passing it too much. I'm no great hockey expert or anything (though i try :beatup: ) but it's like they rely so much on one or two dudes to produce and then they all are jittery and nothing is working between the passing (not to mention lack of shots).

But then again the canes PK is just tremendous. It reminds me of when we played against Jersey. On more than one occasion we shut their PP DOWN and then ours just flourished. It's just like everyone says, the Canes play a better frenzied game, but though you wouldn't expect them to light it up while killing penalties, that seems to be what gets our guys going. :eek2: Haha! beats me, but dang, is it fun to watch