Fink: Canucks-Oilers Exceeded The Hype

The Second Round series between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers already had a lot of hype heading in. The all-Canada matchup featuring two passionate fanbases and star power everywhere was sure to be a great series.

It’s been just that and quite literally the definition of a back-and-forth series. The Canucks have taken all the odd-numbered games in the series while the Oilers have taken the even ones. So, it all comes down to Game 7 to put a bow on a series that has been great in multiple facets.

The Stars Came to Play

Both the Canucks and Oilers have the depth that helped both teams secure the two best records in the Pacific Divison but make no mistake, these two teams are led by star power. 

For the Oilers, it’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the top 10 players in the league, with Zach Hyman emerging as one of the game’s best scorers. The Canucks meanwhile have J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson leading the forward unit while Quinn Hughes anchors the defense as one of the league’s top two-way players.

The top players delivered. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman scored eight goals and 21 assists to essentially carry the Oilers’ offense. While Pettersson has struggled in this series, Miller, Hughes, and trade deadline addition Elias Lindholm have combined for five goals and 11 assists. 

But what makes this series more intriguing is that despite the star power, it hasn’t been defined by it. Typically, a series with elite talent, especially at the forward position, becomes high-scoring. This one is the opposite.

Defense & Goaltending Took Over

Game 1 saw the two teams combined for nine goals. The next two games ended 4-3, indicating that this series would be controlled by offense. Games 4 and 5 ended 3-2 and Game 6 was low-scoring until the Oilers pulled away with a 5-1 victory.

 The bottom line is that the defenses adjusted and started to dominate games. Both defensive units have the speed to keep up with the opposition and more importantly, they can limit shots on the net. They made the potent offenses of the Canucks and Oilers uncomfortable and changed the course of the series because of it. 

On top of that, goaltending has been a highlight, most notably with the Canucks seeing a young star emerge in the net. Arturs Silovs is 22 years old and entered this series with nine career starts to his name. He took over in the First Round for an injured Thatcher Demko and never looked back. Silovs not only helped the Canucks win the First Round series but has been integral to their success against the Oilers, stopping 153 of the 174 shots he’s faced.

While the Oilers had a different story in the net with Calvin Pickard starting Games 4 and 5 while Stuart Skinner started the other four games, they’ve also relied on their goaltenders to step up. They’ve struggled at times but in crucial games, they’ve delivered as well.

Boeser’s Absence Leaves a Dark Cloud

It’s hard to look ahead to Game 7 without thinking about Brock Boeser. He’s a star forward on the Canucks who led the team in goals scored during the regular season with 40 and added three goals in this Second Round series. 

He is out indefinitely with a blood-clotting issue. It’s something that makes sports secondary and the hope is that he can have a healthy recovery. To make things worse, it puts a damper on what has been an otherwise great series with plenty of intriguing storylines. 

Hockey fans want to see Boeser back on the ice and help the Canucks win their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. But more importantly, the hope is that he has an easy and quick recovery.

Just Sit Back & Enjoy Game 7!!

Sure this game can get out of hand and become lopsided but this is a game that should be a classic. Both teams are suited to make a Cup run and this game will feature plenty of battles, great matchups, elite players putting together highlight moments, and hopefully a great finish. 

This is one of those games that you won’t need to place a bet on. You won’t need to pick a side. Without a rooting interest, you can just sit back and enjoy a battle of juggernauts. For the Canucks and Oilers fanbases (and the provinces the Canadian teams are located in), this game brings a lot of angst and tension. But for the rest of us, this is what we live for. Have fun!!