Oh, don't you worry about me. It'll wash off. I hope.
Obviously this is me, using sarcasm in its ultimate form. I mean, I'm a member of the media. I'm not supposed to care. Rooting for a team is unprofessional, after all, the "fan in me died a long time ago".
Don't ever believe this. Don't believe it when a journalist says it, don't believe it when a beat writer says it, and definitely don't believe it when an analyst says it. They respect both teams, but you can be damned sure that the majority of them in this country are pulling for (and likely have heavy action on) the Oil.
And a lot of them are probably regretting that decision, now that Dwayne Roloson has gone down.
This is all I have to say about the Oilers' goaltending situation: If Carolina Hurricanes fans want to win their Stanley Cup in such a fashion -- by facing a team lacking an integral cog, then their respect for the Cup should be questioned. Injuries happen -- this is true. But ultimately you wish to have the fairest, and most balanced matchup possible to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup. If the Hurricanes shut this thing down in four games, and Roloson never returns, I will personally always wonder what might have been.
(And if Edmonton manages to somehow pull this off, someone better keep the defibrillator in the general vicinity of Joey Moss.)
Posts
Yeah, I'm a very sad Moose. When you are Canadian and there has not been a cup in Canada i more than 10 years, it is very difficult not to have a bit of the homer instinct. Listen to American sports journalists covering Boston's baseball win sometime.
Did I jinx the team I was routing for? I posted a picture of the great one with the Stanley cup behind him. Same day, he's taken out of the series and the Oiler's blow a 3-0 lead.
http://www.geocities.com/ricky_mooston/index.html
Anonymous
7:46 p.m.
Perhaps the NHL should shut down the whole cup final until Dwayne Roloson is 100%. Hopefully by that time Erik Cole is ready to go for the rest of the series. Of course, then we'll have to wait until Jack Johnson matures into a bonafide #1 NHL defencemen, at which point the Johnson/Schremp matchup should be a thing to watch. Then we'll have our series.
An injured goaltender for a team that has been playing over its head is no reason to question the opposing fan's respect for the cup.
- Long time reader, first time commentor, that really fired me up.
Anonymous
2:13 a.m.
I said, "integral cog". When in this post-season has Erik Cole been that relevant? He hasn't. The reason? He hasn't participated in these playoffs. And yet the Hurricanes have miraculously been able to make it to the Cup finals without him. Funny that.
Goaltending is the backbone of any team making a run for the Cup (Jesus Christ, I feel like Marcus Allen). There was a legitimate reason why Edmonton decided to cough up a first and conditional third-round pick next year, for a 36-year-old backstopper on the fasttrack to UFA. In short, their goaltending situation chewed it harder than Pat Quinn on a stick of Doublemint.
Which brings us to someone like Ty Conklin. Conks was sent down to the minors three times this year, and waived once. And now either he, or Jussi Markaanen will be taking the reins. Based on Roloson’s post-season performance, that’s the equivalent of a ten- story drop in quality. (M.A. observation No. 2.)
Critics have been bagging on the Hurricanes all season long. They’ve wanted proof that this team is truly as talented as they appear to be – that it wasn’t some sort of “SouthLeast” illusion. They’ve gotten what they wanted, for the most part. But a fair and balanced matchup for the finals will bring this whole ordeal full circle for the ‘Canes. A cheap win won’t. They’ll take it if they get it, as they should. But if you don’t think the players in that Carolina locker room want to be facing the best Oilers team available, you’re high.
For the record, I’ve heard some very knowledgeable ‘Canes fans expressing this very idea on the radio yesterday. They’ll take the win if or when it comes, but they didn’t want it like this. It takes away some of the luster. And all of the comparisons you made to the loss or potential return of other players are not nearly as important as goaltending. Nothing is.
P.S. The “playing over their heads” retort is the most parroted comment going right now. To say so suggests that some sort of cosmic force has kept this team functioning at an optimum level. What’s next, a suggestion that the Oilers are in this position because they didn’t face Dallas this year? Cohesiveness, a shared common goal, and the will thus far to do what the other man won’t. This isn’t pure dumb luck, with opponents’ goaltenders hogtied and blinded throughout the first three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs. Credit where credit is due. Edmonton, by way of series victories in the playoffs, bested everyone else fair and square. As of right now, that makes them the best team in the Western Conference, regardless of where they finished in the regular season standings.
P.P.S.: Word count: 458. Bugger off.
The Universal Cynic
3:26 a.m.
I don't know or care who Erik Cole is but you can't say, the "Oiler's" are playing over their head. You only get to the finals for one reason, you deserve to be there. Sadly, their goalie was the reason they deserved to be there.
That said, the Canes play has not been totally flawless either but hey they also persevered to get there.
The suggestion about "delaying the finals until ..." even in sarcasm, it just plain silly. I do however believe that with Roloston in goal the Oiler's would be a bit less of the underdog in this series.
Moose Out.
spaces.msn.com/sensmoose
Anonymous
12:58 p.m.
You don't know who Eric Cole is?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're being sarcastic.
But if you really don't know him, it's pointless debating with you - you obviously don't get cable tv in that cave of yours.
Wardo
9:50 p.m.