Oilers Advance to round 2

Oilers got their revenge on the Jets from a 4 game sweep a couple years back, and are moving on in a BOA rivalry match that should be one for the ages. Let's see a recap of the series.

Game 1 - a shooters worst nightmare, both goalies played spectacularly only allowing one goal on over 35 shots each, However, the 39th shot slipped past Connor Hellbuyck and ended the game in the second over time. It looked like this might be a rough series for the Oilers facing a red hot Ullmark, who many started calling Has-mark.

Game 2 - The Oilers had something to prove in this game, and scored 2 right out of the gate, they followed that up by exploding in the 3rd period for 4 goals, to put a stamp on a 7-3 route in game 2, leading the charge was Claude Giroux who scored 3 goals and added two assists, and Alexander Barkov who scored his own and added three assists, the series was now tied.

Game 3 - The Oilers found their footing, the Jets had something to prove, this was an important game from both sides and both teams brought it. the top lines seemed to neutralize each other and both teams left the first tied at 2. the second kicked off and ended the same way with a tie, this time at 3. The third period saw both team score a goal and they left the third tied at 4, and heading the OT. This was about as tight as it gets and would come down to the wire, however, a little more than 4 minutes into the first overtime, Laine got a breakaway while short handed and put it past Ullmark to sieze the 2-1 series lead

Game 4 - The Oilers expected the heat from the Jets after a close game three and came ready to play, the Jets started back up Laurent Brossoit after Ullmark let in 12 in the last two games, this ended in a disaster as the Oilers blasted 5 goals past him on 17 shots, prompting Ullmark to come in in relief. Again the charge was lead by Claude Giroux who scored a goal and added two assists, the Oilers potted 1 in the third to finish off the 6-0 shut out.

Game 5 - The Oilers had their chance to move onto the second round for the second time in 3 years at their hands and they didn't let down. Giroux again added a goal and an assist and the Oilers played tight shut down hockey, only allowing 22 shots on goal, while peppering Ullmark with 37 of their own. They took the game 4-2 and the series 4-1. 

After the series GM Braithwaite had this to say about the match up 
"We felt we had a great regular season. But to play a team like the Jets round 1...that's a terrible prize, we were ready to play, but they have some great fire power up front, and we knew this series wouldn't be over until it's over, they are much better than a typical 8th seed team"

That same night, a little further south, the Calgary Flames beat the LA kings in 5 games, setting up a Battle of Alberta for the ages.

a historical animosity between the two franchises is well known, and the flames present some serious dangers

"We felt Winnipegs main threats came from their top 3 forwards, however, Calgary is a different story, they have depth, a solid set of defence, and Varlamov was the MVP of the first round, posting above a 950 in 5 games against LA. They lack the same firepower as Winnipeg, but make up for it in depth both up front and on the back end, and a more highly touted goalie" said GM Braithwaite

The season series saw five game against the two teams with 3 wins for the Oilers and 2 wins for the Flames, but the past few weeks have seen this flames team look like a different animal. Storming to, not only secure a play off spot, but secure home ice advantage. This shoudl be the most exciting match up in the second round, barring a potential Habs-Leafs series.

A smart man would predict a long series.

Keys to the Oilers victory
-Get to Varlamov early and often, do not let him settle in like he did against LA
-win the top line match ups
-Neutralize the bottom lines and depth match ups

Keys to the Flames Victory
-Pander to Tanners inner Flames fan
-Depth must prevail, every line must chip in offensively
-Neutralize Giroux, Barkov, and Kane

This one will be worth tuning into.