Can Edmonton Get to the Stanley Cup Finals? What's Next For the Calgary Flames?
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After the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames played in the Western Conference second-round series, there was much second-guessing. One aspect was Darryl Sutter alluding to the best players playing for the opposition. He was not wrong.
While Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk were not horrible, they simply were not Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl had 17 points in the series. McDavid had 12 points, including the series-clinching overtime goal in Game 5.
Canadian sports wagerers again must be thankful. There was so much to bet on that delivered in this series. The best part is that Edmonton is going up against another offensively lethal team in Colorado.
Let us take a closer at a few quick things.
Calgary STILL Has No Answers For The McDavid Line
Sadly for Calgary, the injuries to Christopher Tanev and the lack of presence down the middle proved to be their undoing. Watching the video of almost every goal scored when McDavid and Draisaitl were on the ice was telling. Almost too telling.
So, how was the middle of the ice in the Calgary defensive zone that open? Simply, the space created forced Calgary to back up. Space creators like Zach Hyman and Evander Kane played a role in this.
Sutter and his staff never could adjust. That is likely because few adjustments could be made. Jacob Markstrom did not make those saves. Things like that get magnified in a best-of-seven series.
Speed kills, Markstrom looked almost traumatized, and in fear nearly every time McDavid and Draisaitl were on the ice. He even nearly stumbled while backpedaling a few times. Yes, It was that noticeable.
Once Edmonton’s secondary scoring kicked in, Calgary was toast. However, that transitional offense created the space in the middle.
Looking Ahead: Calgary Faces More Questions
The Calgary Flames face more questions. Can they re-sign both Gaudreau and Tkachuk? Does Gaudreau want to stay in New Jersey? How much does that take?
These questions and how they get answered will play a role in the futures next season for Calgary. One inquiry has to be Markstrom again. Why was he so bad against Edmonton?
Mike Smith was a difference-maker in the last round because he accepted that goals would happen no matter what. Playing 80’s style hockey with a 2020-era twist creates conditions where having an actual short-term memory helps immensely. Markstrom must learn that going forward.
Now comes the hard part. What is next for the Edmonton Oilers?
Edmonton Faces An Even More Stacked Team In Colorado
The video pinball references abound for Ontario sports bettors. The Over is not 8.5 for every game in this series. Game 1 is set at 7.0. That is a sign of what might be to come.
Again, the Oilers persistently play to their strengths. Speed and transition killed Calgary so many times. Now, they are up against Colorado, which does much the same to teams from all areas of the ice.
Now, what looms may be the craziest battle for bettors to comprehend. McDavid versus Nathan MacKinnon plus supporting casts is up next.
Colorado is an early 1.40 favourite as series betting opens over Edmonton. Always keep an eye on series betting, but the Oilers are at 3.05. It will be fun to see how that number fluctuates. The Oilers are a mere 2.55 underdog for Game 1.
The series starts tonight at last. Can Edmonton advance to the Stanley Cup Final? Stay tuned!
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