PLAYOFF HOCKEY IS BACK!
For the first time since 2006, Edmonton is part of the annual Stanley Cup chase
The Oilers’ Anton Slepyshev battles L.A.’s Alec Martinez Tuesday night at Rogers Place. Edmonton secured its first playoff spot in over a decade with a 2-1 win.
Four thousand and two days. But who’s counting, eh? Well, how about the entire city of Edmonton and surrounding areas since the last time fans could stand up and shout to the rooftops: “Hey, the Oilers are in the playoffs. Next stop, the Stanley Cup.”
OK, maybe not the second part of that. A Canadian team hasn’t won a Cup since 1993.
But, at least the city can exhale now. The Oilers clinched a playoff spot Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Fan Appreciation night, where they gave away patio sets and spin cycles as prizes, but the biggest prize was a post-season berth.
“You saw the excitement in the building. This means a lot, the fans have through probably one of the worst stretches you could imagine,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who scored on a pass to Patrick Maroon that pin-balled off the skate of Derek Forbort and past L.A. goalie Jonathan Quick.
McDavid then watched defenceman Eric Gryba get the winner with a hopeful shot that skipped off two L.A. players on the way in.
The game had a playoff-type vibe with 62 hits and 35 blocked shots, not that McDavid could get his head around that part of it.
“People keep asking me if it felt like a playoff game. I can’t say what that’s like. I’ve never been in one,” said McDavid. “Two to one, some ugly goals but that’s the recipe for success in the playoffs.”
Even if he’s never actually played in one, eh? He’ll get his first chance April 12, when the Oilers open against a to-be-announced firstround opponent. The Anaheim Ducks beat the Vancouver Canucks and lead the Pacific with 95 points. The Oilers and San Jose Sharks are in a dogfight for second.
Jarome Iginla, the oldest player on the ice at 40, to the youngest, McDavid’s 20, had the Kings’ first-period goal on Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who made 34 stops and survived some harried final seconds with the fans cheering themselves hoarse before the huga-thon started with his teammates and between the fans in the stands.
“Great to clinch a playoff on Fan Appreciation night and a huge first step for our team,” said Oilers winger Milan Lucic, who was on the Kings side last year before signing a seven-year, free-agent deal on July 1.
It’s the first time the Oilers have qualified for the post-season since April 13, 2006, when three names from the past collaborated late against the Ducks at Rexall Place. Ales Hemsky scored with 34 seconds on assists from Jarret Stoll, who now works for the Kings in player development in his first year of retirement, and Chris Pronger, if you’re into historical stuff.
That was game 81, back 11 years ago, as they reached 93 points. The Oilers did this time in game 76 to run their total to 93 and counting.
Earlier in the day, Talbot didn’t shy away from the task at hand facing the Kings.
“We know the fans are hungry for this. It’s been a long time coming,” said Talbot, who robbed Alec Martinez from the faceoff dot with 13 seconds left and had help another time, as Gryba threw his body in front of an open net. “I think Grybs stopped it with his face.”
“I caught one, Talbs made a couple of huge saves. I dunno about my face. I think it was my glove right close to my face,” said Gryba, who has his playoff beard back after shaving it off weeks back for a little guy with cancer as part of a charity.
And now, a close shave for the Oilers to get to the playoffs for the first time since April of 2006.
The 10 straight years out of the playoffs tied the Florida Panthers for NHL futility. They didn’t make it from 1999-00 to 2011-12 with a lockout year in that span. Hard to fathom for a team that won five Stanley Cups in a seven-year span in Edmonton’s glory days.
About this time three years ago (March 25, 2014), a fan tossed a Taylor Hall jersey onto the ice after a crappy 8-1 loss to Calgary Flames. Nobody was doing that Tuesday night.