Game 2 Oilers Vs. Hurricanes

Before we get this thing started up here, I'd just like to thank all of you who have read my account of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I can't thank you enough. As a writer it is always a great feeling to know that people are reading your things, and to those of you who were kind enough to IM, e-mail, or leave comments somewhere here on Myspace.com, thank you for your words of encouragement. You have no idea how much it means to me to know people like what I am doing, even if it is only for fun.

Ok so enough of the sappy stuff here, it's time to get down to business. Game 2 is only a couple minutes away and I'm back on the couch for the last OLN broadcast of the season, (thank God cause the technical problems all season have been horrible. Anyone remember that 15 minute freeze up during the San Jose and Nashville series in the third period mind you?) The hole in the wall has been repaired and Erin is still at work and as much as I like having her around....I can't help but think that she was the reason the Oilers lost Game 1. If you'll recall they were up 3-0 until my darling girlfriend returned home and then they fell apart like John Daly after a couple of beers. She just textmessaged me and said she probably won't be home until later than usual...could this be a good sign? I guess we shall soon see.

8:03- Doc and JD doing their intros and look who's in net for Edmonton, Jussi Markkanen, not Ty Conklin. I wonder what swayed MacTavish's mind into giving a guy who hasn't started a game in months over a guy who can't stop a beach ball. Rock in a hard place much? Saying it now, if the Oilers pull off a miracle and win the Cup, Jussi will make a couple bucks off a jersey sale to me.

8:17- Opening draw won by Brind'Amour again. Based on the theory there is no need to watch the rest of this game, but I will.

8:18- Markkanen tested early and passes despite a tricky rebound that was cleared. Back the other way and Ward makes a nice stop on his first shot of the game. Both look pretty good early.

8:20- More bad news. Another text message from Erin reveals that she will in fact be home around the normal time she arrives home from work. Sorry boys, but it's not your night tonight.

8:21- Penalty on Carolina! Interference, perhaps another quick start? If only they could get set up on the PP....

8:23- I have never seen a team block more shots in all my years of watching hockey! Aaron Ward and Brind'Amour block two huge ones before the Oilers finally get one to the goaltender. PP over and it at least looked better than the ones in the 3rd period of Game 1.

8:25- 2-on-1 for Carolina and Andrew Ladd gets a fortunate deflection off the sprawling defenseman and over Markkanen for the early 1-0 lead, here we go again.

8:33- Markkanen makes a nice stop, but there's a hooking penalty on Edmonton, time to kill it off boys. Carolina is dominating play up to this point so Edmonton is going to need to weather the storm, (note the play on words there).

8:38- Hooray! Penalty on Carolina to even things up! Edmonton going back on the PP in just a few seconds.

8:47- Another penalty on Carolina! Edmonton appears to have gotten out the jitters and Markkanen is looking confident so maybe there is some shred of hope here.

8:50- Well that's the end of the first and all things considered I suppose it was a decent period. Once they stopped trying to play a run and gun game the pace slowed down and they at least looked like a tema competing for the Cup. Twenty minutes in the books and only down one goal, I can live with that....time for some cake to ease the eventual doom.

9:08- Apparently the Canes blocked 11 shots in the first period alone and Wesley had to have blocked about 8. Oilers still on the PP on carryover time.

9:13- Samsonov stoned by Ward. Yes the same guy who's been pulled on a couple of occasions in the playoffs and countless others during the regular season. Eat your heart out Martin Gerber.

9:15- Penalty on Edmonton....don't have a good feeling about this at all.

9:16- Yet another penalty on the Oilers. 5-on-3 PP for the Canes. Really not feeling good about this.

9:19- First penalty over and Matt Greene just out of the box almost scored a shorthanded goal. They kill off the remaining time and here comes the third straight penalty on the Oilers. Someone may need to remind them that a hat-trick only applies when goals are scored, not penalties.

9:22-Diana: "So how's the game."
Me: "1-0 Carolina, Edmonton keeps taking stupid penalties."
Diana: "Your team is losing?"
Me: Yes.
Diana: "Don't cry."
Me: "I'm not.... yet."
Diana: "I'll get you a Kleenex."

9:24- Kaberle scores on the PP and just like that it's 2-0. Nice shot through a crowd...still feeling sick.

9:26- Ward continues to stand on his head on a delayed penalty call against the Canes. If ever there was a time for a goal, it's now Oilers. Get it done already! You already knocked off Legace, Toskala, and a combo of Giggy and Bryzgalov, if you can't knock off Ward there is something seriously wrong.

9:29- Ward just stopped the puck and Samsonov who got dumped into him. Apparently pucks aren't the only thing this kid stops.

9:31- I think Roloson is still playing hockey in this series, but somehow he's changed teams without any of us knowing. "Ward" just stopped a shot with his stick somehow from point blank, and of course play goes the other way and Edmonton takes a penalty. To quote Anger Management "The anger sharks are swimming in my head."

9:34- Make or break time here for the Oilers. If they have any chance of winning this game they need to kill this off, not just for them but for me and all of Canada, but mainly for me.

9:37- Horcoff is going to wake up when he's 90 still having nightmares about Cam Ward's glove robbing him.

9:39- Hide the kids for this comment from JD. "Oilers had another chance but it was Michael Peca who couldn't finish." Use your imagination.

9:41- Markkanen makes a solid stop on a rip from the point off the rush from Wesley who decided to shoot the puck instead of stop it for once.

9:42- What a mad scramble around the net. 3-0 Carolina on a goal by Stillman with 2 seconds to go in the period. I give up.

9:44- Me: "3-0 after two."
Gary: "Yuck. Carolina does deserve it though."
Me: "@#$hem."
Gary: "It's better than NJ winning."
Me: "Good point sir."

He always did know how to cheer me up.

9:50- Greg is back with another guaruntee.

Greg: "That's alright Oilers WILL comeback. I guaruntee it. This game is going to overtime."

If his predictions so far have taught us anything it's that this game is over.

10:01- Third period under way and Edmonton is controlling play early.

10:04- Penalty on Edmonton, good way to kill momentum, and I just thought I'd mention Erin just sat down on the couch. Coincedence? I think not.

10:07- Carolina goal under review....looks to me like it shouldn't count, but knowing my luck it will.

10:08- .....................................................it counts, 4-0. I really don't understand the logic behind calling that a goal at all.

10:10- Frustration penalty on Edmonton, time for some fights if you ask me. Good look from above on the goal. Apparently he did touch it with his stick despite kicking it to get it there in the first place.

10:12-5-0 on a deflection by Recchi. I'd come up with a witty remark, but im in total shock.

10:14- Another penalty on Edmonton. Let's go for a six pack and try to forget this night ever happened.

10:26- Penalty on Edmonton. This game has been over from the opening draw.

10:32- Penalty on Carolina, time for a meaningless goal potentially. All I'm asking for at this point is just to break up the shutout of this rook. Don't I deserve at least that much?

10:35- Laraque is tossed for a cheap hit from behind after the penalty expires.

10:40- Penaly on the Canes. Anyone noticing a trend here in the late stages of the game? If there's one good thing about this it's that the refs are keeping it from getting way out of control.

10:42- Game over 5-0 final. Shutout for the rook Ward. No need to get violent tonight, Edmonton didn't play a bad game, they just got beat. No complaints from the effort, but if they want to get back in this series they may want to take Ward's steroids away from him because I have never seen such a turnaround in play ever. It's unreal.

Signing off for the evening, but to bring things full circle, it's official. Canes won the opening draw again tonight and won the game. My theory is 2-0 and no I'm not happy about that at all.

10:45- Erin: "What is Versus?"
Me:- "OLN is changing their name to Versus."
Erin: "But what will they do with fishing? There's no real versus in fishing."
Me: "Good point, we're still trying to figure out the point of changing."

10:46 Power surge. All the lights just went out in the house. I'd say it's pretty symbolic since the lights are slowly going out on Edmonton's season.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go get that Kleenex from Diana and come up with a gameplan for Saturday, because this spot on the couch certainly isn't working.