The Oilers get to return to the scene of the crime tonight as the Finals get back underway tonight in Raleigh. But plenty of folks were still talking about the blunder that ended Game One and gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in the series. Here's Al Strachan.
Thanks to Covered in Oil for finding the clip.
As you might imagine, Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish is playing coy about his choice in net to replace the injured Dwayne Roloson, though Hockey Night In Canada's Jason Murdoch is convinced Jussi Markannen will get the start:
So is it Jussi or Ty tomorrow night? Coach Craig MacTavish didn't say, but the smart money is on Jussi.Conklin screwed up big time yesterday, although some would say it was just as much Jason Smith's fault and Markkanen would give the Oilers a clean slate to start on.
The big problem is that neither of these goaltenders have seen ANY playing time in the last month and a half. Both are really rusty and it's hard to believe that either of them have the mental toughness to withstand the pressure of playing in the finals.
But, we will see. Some of the crew think that Edmonton will bounce back. Some think it's wishful thinking and as one reporter said, "The Oilers are done like toast."
Pierre Maguire votes for Markannen too.
And for those who missed it, here's the clip of Marc-Andre Bergeron checking Andrew Ladd into Roloson and knocking him out of the series. Turns out Roloson suffered a hyperextended elbow as well.
Some thoughts from Jes Golbez:
If I'm the Hurricanes, I'd drive to the net with even more reckless abandon. Juicy Markkanen or Ty Conklin will give up many more rebounds than Roloson the vacuum, so it's important to throw the puck and the net and follow up on the play.Oh, and Oilers fans ought to send some of their venom to Mr. Bergeron. Pushing an attacking forward into your own goaltender is a stupid, stupid, stupid move. I see this happen quite often in scrums in front of the net, but a guy will cause more damage when he's skating fast directly towards your goaltender.
It's safe to say Rod Brind'Amour helped out his Conn Smythe chances with two goals on Monday night, but it was his incredible performance in the faceoff circle that was raising hackles in the Edmonton camp according to Bob McKenzie:
The Oilers, in turn, have labelled Brind
No, an octopus would NOT have passed muster–in North Carolina it is against the law to throw objects onto the playing surface during a sporting event.
(NCGS 14‑281.1)
The law goes unenforced when hat tricks are scored (because any case that would arise from that would be dismissed with prejudice), but otherwise the RPD is pretty diligent in dealing with people that think it’s a good idea to toss crap onto the ice.