Oilers' Fans Should Cheer For Vancouver Canucks
EDMONTON — Rest is incredibly valuable at this time of the year.
It can also be excruciating for hockey fans to endure – they just want to know who their favorite team will play against next. For fans of the Edmonton Oilers, they know that the team’s round two opponent will be one of either the Vancouver Canucks or the Nashville Predators.
It all comes down to whoever wins Game six tonight. The Canucks have a 3-2 series lead over the Predators and look to deliver the crushing blow.
Frankly, Oilers fans should cheer for the Canucks to win tonight’s game.
Evander Kane crushes Filip Hronek. Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
History has played well into the Oilers favor when it comes to facing the Canucks in the post season. They have played the Canucks twice – and have won both times.
The last time these two teams met was in the 1992 second round – the same round that they could potentially meet this year (if the Canucks win tonight). They were the lower seed than the Canucks and defeated them in six games – with Craig McTavish scoring the series clinching goal.
Funnily enough, that playoff run featured the Oilers beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round – now where have I heard that before…
And the first time that these two teams met in the post season was during the 1985-86 playoffs. They played the Canucks in the opening round – and in those days that series was only a best-of-five (instead of a best-of-seven). The Oilers swept the Canucks in three games.
Mattias Ekholm. Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
With all of that in mind – plus the fact that the Canucks embarrassed the Oilers at the beginning of this season – should have Oilers fans chomping at the bit for these two teams to face off against each other.
There has been a lot of discourse this season about which of these two teams is better – the only way to truly settle that once and for all is to go head-to-head in a seven game series.
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