The Oilers win! The Oilers win! Helllllooooo round 2...

I'm still pinching myself after last night, when my Edmonton Oilers reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by knocking off the top team (during the regular season, anyway), the Detroit Red Wings.

And they did it in dramatic fashion. I expected the Oilers to come out in front of a truly crazed crowd on home ice and take control of the game early by scoring first, as they have in every other game in the series. But, it was not to be. At the end of one period, Detroit was up 1-0, and at the end of two it was 2-0. During the second period, the Wings were at their suffocating best, outshooting Edmonton 17-2. Yes, that's right, 17-2. After that disaster of a period, without question the Oil's worst of this playoffs, I let out a large *Sigh* and figured at least I'd be treated to a Game 7, which wouldn't be so bad. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like a Game 7 in any round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Little did I know, I was in for one of the most memorable Oiler playoff games in their 27-year NHL history.

Not to put too fine a point on it - the Oilers came out to start the third and quickly showed the hockey world that they will be a team to be reckoned with, not only in this playoffs, but far into the future. Edmonton's youth, speed and energy were just too much for Detroit, but what really made the difference was one man - Dwayne Roloson. Roli the goalie really showed up for this series, and he was the difference. A close second in series MVP honors goes to Chris Pronger, who is proving once again that he is among the top defensemen in the NHL.

Anyway, by 6:40 into the third period, the Oil had tied it because of an Edmonton-born hero - Fernando Pisani. He scored twice, less than four minutes apart, to draw the Oilers even. However, Detroit's Johan Franzen put Detroit up 3-2 less than four minutes later with a very nice goal that Roli had no chance at. But there was plenty more heart stopping action to come.

Ales (Al-ISH) Hemsky evened the game with an awkward goal on the powerplay with less than four to go. The goal was reviewed, and after about six minutes of drama, the goal judges made the obvious and right call - that Hemsky hadn't kicked it in; the puck merely bounced off his chest and into the goal. Hey, whatever - the Oilers will take a few lucky ones, and I know I was happy. So, I settled into my chair thinking I was in for overtime, and I never complain about getting to see even more hockey. Both teams probably thought that's where the game was headed, too; games 1 and 3 of this series both went to double OT. With just over a minute to go, that's when The Play happened. Hemsky took the puck into the Detroit zone, left the puck for Sergei Samsanov, and then parked himself at the side of the net. One Samsanov picture-postcard pass later, the backbreaker - a Hemsky tap in (See Above). Goal, Game, Series, Pandemonium!

It's tough to overstate how crazy it was at Rexall Place in Edmonton. Click here to see video clips of it - they should remain on the Oil's homepage for a few days. I was jumping up and down, celebrating, whooping and hollering, all while wearing my now lucky Mark Messier #11 jersey. I had reason to celebrate - the Oilers haven't moved to the second round since 1998, and they haven't been to the conference finals since 1992. So, I'm hoping more droughts end this year, including the biggest Oiler drought of all - The Stanley Cup. It's been 16 long years - pictured below is the last time. Could this year the next time?

I believe.