The Oilers next game will be on the golf course after a straight
sweep courtesy of the Dallas Stars.
Well, it wasn't like the Oilers didn't try. All the games were
solved by a goal. The only problem was that Dallas always netted
that extra goal.
This happened for several reasons. But let's just get it clear,
Dallas is the better team. The Stars have a better coach, more
experience, more talent, and more depth. Any more questions?
Each game's plot is pretty similar. Oilers get the first goal,
Stars storm back and win the game. In Game 1, Rem Murray netted
the first goal, but the Stars got two back and won the game. Game
2 was an exception. The Stars had the lead in this one and didn't
let go, even though the Oil were able to get within a goal of the
Stars. Still no dice.
The third game saw Ryan Smyth score two goals to give the Oilers a
2-0 lead. Was that enough to stop the Stars? Unfortunately, the
answer was no. The Oilers couldn't hold on and the Stars scored
three goals in six minutes and took the lead. Leaving the Oilers
out in the cold.
Game 4 was similar, it was just longer. The Oilers held the lead
twice but the Stars came back twice forcing the game to overtime.
Not one, or two overtimes, but three. About 120 minutes later, the
Oilers held their heads low after a Joe Nieuwendyk tip-in from a
Sergei Zubov shot from the point. The goal was scored with less
than three minutes left in the third overtime period.
It was a real heartbreaker. The whole series was a heartbreaker.
Every game of the series, the Oilers came into the third period
with either the lead or tied, but Dallas had that extra zip to win
the games.
Losing the lead wasn't for lack of effort on the Oilers' part.
Especially during game four, the Oil gave it their all and
something had to give. And in that case it was Nieuwendyk's goal.
For those of you who don't believe that the Oilers didn't try, Todd
Marchant loss twelve pounds when the game was finished.
Tommy Salo played fairly well for guy with no playoff experience.
Even though Ryan Smyth was scratched for Game 2. But then he
bounced back during the third and fourth games with three goals.
The team played well even though they were missing their best
players at sometime during the series. Joe Beranek, Bill Guerin,
Doug Weight and Roman Hamrlik all missed at least a game due to
injury. It was a great show of effort from the Oilers' younger
guys like Ethan Moreau, Chad Kilger and Tom Poti.
Well, no fairy tale first-round upset. Guess we'll all have to wait
for next year.
