Edmonton won back-to-back Cups after this year, so everyone knows they were the best team over that span. It's not a question of do you think they could've won more...because they did. Do you expect anyone to not pick a team with that resume given how close they came anyway?
I ask because if Smith doesn't score, the Oilers very likely move on to the SC Final. So would they steamroll the Habs or does Patrick Roy prove to be too much?
Well, the Oilers still had to score another goal that game, something they didn't do in the entire 3rd period. So even without the Smith gaffe, it guarantees nothing for the Oilers.
Funny how he fingers Fuhr rather than Smith for that goal. Personally I put the blame on Smith about 90% on that one and I guess about 10% for Fuhr. I mean, he wasn't really doing anything that he wouldn't have done 100 times. Smith was in the wrong.
But what happens without that goal? Well you never know, the Flames still could have won. This was Game 7 and a tie game in the third period. It was gut-check time. You get the feeling that Edmonton pulls it off but at that point nothing is a guarantee. You are basically talking about sudden death overtime at that point.
However, if they do get by Calgary they surely beat St. Louis and then Montreal. Roy was insane that year, but this is the 1986 Oilers. I think they win 5 in a row. Funny how Roy's two Cups as a Hab came during a year where there was a monumental upset in which Montreal didn't have to face the top team. Would have loved to see him go against the 1986 Oilers and 1993 Pens just to see what happens.
Funny how he fingers Fuhr rather than Smith for that goal. Personally I put the blame on Smith about 90% on that one and I guess about 10% for Fuhr. I mean, he wasn't really doing anything that he wouldn't have done 100 times. Smith was in the wrong.
But what happens without that goal? Well you never know, the Flames still could have won. This was Game 7 and a tie game in the third period. It was gut-check time. You get the feeling that Edmonton pulls it off but at that point nothing is a guarantee. You are basically talking about sudden death overtime at that point.
However, if they do get by Calgary they surely beat St. Louis and then Montreal. Roy was insane that year, but this is the 1986 Oilers. I think they win 5 in a row. Funny how Roy's two Cups as a Hab came during a year where there was a monumental upset in which Montreal didn't have to face the top team. Would have loved to see him go against the 1986 Oilers and 1993 Pens just to see what happens.
i guess the question would be: if the oilers couldn't beat mike vernon, either in the rest of that third period or over a seven game series, then how would they beat patrick roy?
that was one of vernon's good playoffs, and he could be a very good-to-excellent playoff goalie. but it was also shown in '86 that roy on the top of his game owned vernon on the top of his game. (i should say that i don't think '89 was anything but the better team winning.)
i guess the question would be: if the oilers couldn't beat mike vernon, either in the rest of that third period or over a seven game series, then how would they beat patrick roy?
that was one of vernon's good playoffs, and he could be a very good-to-excellent playoff goalie. but it was also shown in '86 that roy on the top of his game owned vernon on the top of his game. (i should say that i don't think '89 was anything but the better team winning.)
It probably would have just been a scare for the Oilers. They would have felt they dodged a bullet and you get the feeling they would have never let another series creep up to 7 games again. That Habs team wasn't a bad team, but I wouldn't say they were a "great" team. They had Roy as a rookie, an older Gainey, an older but still very good Robinson and pretty much just Naslund on offense. They did play a very good team game and were strong defensively but if the Oilers had a kick in the teeth from Calgary and re-charged I have a hard time seeing Roy carry that team past the high flying Oilers.
Edmonton definately wins five Cups in a row. In my humble opinion, that's the best team ever. They were SO loaded... I don't see Montreal beating the Oilers in the Finals. I see Montreal stealing two games on the strength of Roy's goaltending, but in the end a very predictable result. At least that's the way i see it in my mind's eye.
If Hartford wins game 7 at Montreal AND Edmonton still loses game 7, who wins the Cup?
You'd have had a Hartford- NY Rangers Wales Finals- and the Whalers would have had home-ice!
Blasted Yvan Corriveau anyway.......Calgary, even given their inconsistency would have won. . The Whalers were an average team that caught the habs napping a bit....It was a very slow paced, odd series. From Stephen Cole's book Slapshots?: Harry Neale:" It is an East West game and Hartford is playing for the North".
