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As a patriotic Canadian team hockey fan, it was a bit of a drag to see that the last two Canadian teams left in the NHL finals were slated to play against each other. I knew it was likely given that of the four teams that made it, three were from the Western Conference, so one was always going to have to go (If only Toronto could have pulled through in the East).
But an Edmonton/Vancouver matchup was meant to be, and if any of you watched hockey 15 years ago, you will remember what a game seven loss in Vancouver could look like (I bet the Bruins remember; let's just say it wasn't Canadians at their best) but at the time I did understand pieces of it. Hockey is our national pastime, and even though the greatest leaders on American teams are from Canada, constantly being shut out of a championship can be pretty deflating (the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the 1993 Montreal Canadiens)
This game seven showdown matchup between Edmonton and Vancouver was a true spectacle, a testament to the fierce competition in the NHL. The teams were evenly matched, going straight for stroke until the very end, with Edmonton ultimately prevailing 3-2 in Game Seven.
Now, we turn our attention to the next thrilling matchup-Dallas, who emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle against the Colorado Avalanche in six games in the second round.
Here are some stats from the NHL:
The Stars (52-21-9) are the No. 1 seed from the Central Division and will have a home-ice advantage against the Oilers (49-27-6), who are the No. 2 seed from the Pacific Division.
Let's take a closer look at the stars of the Stars. Miro Heiskanen has been leading the charge in the playoffs with 13 points (five goals, eight assists). Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston have also been instrumental, contributing 12 and 11 points respectively. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have each scored eight points. In goal, Jake Oettinger has been a rock, starting all 13 games and maintaining an impressive 2.09 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
The Stars were 2-0-1 against the Oilers during the regular season, winning 4-3 on the road on Nov. 2 and 5-0 at home on April 3. Dallas lost 4-3 in overtime on February 17.
Matt Duchene had four points (two goals, two assists), and Roope Hintz (two goals, one assist) was one of seven players with three points each. Johnston, Pavelski, Thomas Harley, Mason Marchment, and Radek Faksa each had a goal and two assists, and Heiskanen had three assists. Oettinger was 1-0-1 with a 2.00 GAA, .932 save percentage and one shutout, and Scott Wedgewood made 46 saves in his only start, the 4-3 win.
Game 1 begins Thursday.
(with files from NHL.com)
