The Conference Finals - Suweet!

The Sharks are dead. I don't have any more cliches to use and I don't want to think up any - I'm almost too happy to type. What a wild night of hockey, as the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the San Jose Sharks from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a convincing 2-0 victory. I was going crazy in our upstairs spare room, trying not to wake Vandra but too excited to contain myself.

The Oilers have not been to the Conference Finals in 14 years, so I've been waiting a long, looooong time for this feeling, and it's here at last. But, I'm sort of containing myself a bit, too, because they haven't won anything. But, 14 years of being tempered by playoff failure (when they even managed to make it) has me thinking dollars and cents - with another round of playoff cash in their coffers, the EIG, a group of entrepreneurs who owns the Oilers, will now have some cash to sign some of their important free agents, and maybe even chase one or two new ones. I haven't been able to say THAT in a long time, if ever, about the small-market Oilers. In the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s, when they were the best team on ice, player salaries were still affordable, even for a small market team. Then, salaries skyrocketed and the small markets nearly went extinct in hockey, with 2 teams even declaring bankruptcy. But, the pendulum has swung back. The '05 NHL strike, which wiped out the entire season and playoffs last season, was forced by the owners in order to implement a salary cap. It's working. Every team has a shot at Stanley now.

The strike was worth it.

Last night, there were several heroes for the Oilers. First, without question, was goalie Dwayne Roloson, who earned his first career playoff shutout. He has been HUGE, worth every penny they are paying him, and certainly worth that first round draft choice in the March trade that brought him to Edmonton. Michael Peca is finally earning his paycheck and more, scoring the game-winning goal last night. Too bad he won't be an Oiler next year, because he's alternated between very good and outstanding in the postseason. Shawn Horcoff had himself another excellent game, giving the Oilers some breathing room to make it 2-0 in the third. He's coming into his own; he's a bona fide #1 center in this league, and I remember not long ago that was Edmonton's biggest concern. Problem solved.


Peca's game winner (and series clincher!). I love My Peca. I've been dying all season to type that, but haven't had a reason to before now.


Peca celebrates his goal. How funny are the two women in the background? I envy them - wish I could have been there!

There were several "firsts" last night, and some notable happenings:

Edmonton became the first 8 seed to advance to the Conference Finals in the current playoff format, which was implemented in '92 (may have been '94, not sure - it's one or the other). The point is, the Oilers are the first.

This is also the first time that Edmonton has ever won a playoff series after trailing 2-0. To win four straight against a team as good as San Jose is something pretty special and I'll never forget it.

After some moronic San Jose fans booed the Canadian national anthem before game 5 in San Jose, Edmontonians showed true class last night by cheering the American anthem so loudly, they drowned out the singer. Way to go, Edmonton - being bigger men/women and not stooping to the level of a select few idiotic Sharks (and by extension, Americans) shows the hockey world what Oilers fans (and Canadians) are made of. I'm proud to be an American, of course, but I feel a sense of embarrassment when something happens like what took place in San Jose the other night. And I'm proud to be an Oilers fan when I saw what I did last night when the American anthem was sung.

The Oilers are now the only team remaining in the playoffs that has ever won a Stanley Cup; as I've mentioned many times, their last came in 1990 vs. the Boston Bruins. Edmonton is also the only Canadian team remaining in the playoffs, and they are trying to become the first Canadian team to take the Cup north since Montreal in 1993.

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Next up are the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. These guys are going to be one tough team to beat; their goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, is playing amazing hockey. But, you know what? Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson has been as good as any goalie in the playoffs. Plus, the Oilers are 4-0 vs. the Ducks this season, so they have reasons to be confident. I just hope not overconfident.

I say the Oilers take it in 7 games. We're going to the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't know who we'll face, but these playoffs are proving that anything can happen.


The Cup is coming home, baby! Do I still believe? Now more than ever.