Can we drop the puck on the Western Conference second round between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks already? It’s felt like ages since the Oilers dusted off the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round, which ended exactly a week ago Wednesday.
At least it’s given us time to ponder all of the important questions heading into this next series. So much time, in fact, that they’ve already been answered, ad nauseam. So, here are five other questions:
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Is there a chance? Could Vancouver be the stepping stone to finally end jokes such as:
How many Oilers fans does it take to change a lightbulb?
One to change the bulb and an entire city to lament about how great the old bulb was.
And don’t give me the ol’, ‘We’ve waited long enough,’ because I have an entire fanbase out on the West Coast to introduce you to.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner might not be Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr, but they’re every bit as good as there is in the NHL right now. And besides, would you really want a bunch of 63-year-olds hopping the boards out there?
If the Oilers end up making it past the division-leading Canucks, it’s only going to get tougher from there on out, with the best both conferences have to offer waiting for them in Rounds 3 and 4.
‘Paging Connor McDavid … Mr. McDavid to the front desk.’
We know you’re the best in the world. We’ve watched you shrug off that title and others like it for years now.
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Today, it’s time to show it.
After cleaning up the hardware with five league awards a year ago, we can’t shake the feeling you’ve spent this entire season focusing solely on making everyone around you better. Becoming the first player since Gretzky in ’92 to earn triple-digit assists only proves our point — and that was back in the same year the Oilers and Canucks last played in the playoffs, for those keeping score at home.
And that’s fine. Heck, maybe that’s even the ultimate secret for success in the NHL. We fully realize one guy can’t do it all himself every time. But once in a while, Connor, you’re going to have to pick this team up and carry it on your shoulders as you dipsy-doodle your way through all five opponents before deking the puck past the goalie you left grabbing his ankles at the side of the crease. Just like we know you can. So, maybe start thinking about being a little more selfish when the need arises, young man. It’s not always about sharing.
The Canucks were never supposed to hit the ground running (er, skating?) this year after pulling the trigger on a head-coaching change midway through the previous season. But Rick Tocchet didn’t need much of a runway to take his Canucks from missing playoffs for the third year in a row, and seventh time in eight seasons. Tocchet is 70-35-13 (.648) behind the Canucks bench
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The only more remarkable turnaround to be found was Kris Knoblauch being parachuted in as a rookie NHL head coach in mid-November to help Edmonton recover from a 3-9-1 start to the season, on the way to finishing with a 46-18-5 (.822) record.
Vancouver finished five points ahead of second-place Edmonton in the Pacific Division, and swept the season series 4-0. But both coaches have exactly one playoff series victory with their current team to their credit, so far, and the only thing anyone’s going to remember is which one comes out ahead in this one.
Just don’t ask Tocchet who the smart money is to bet on …
Only one thing to do in this day and age when you want to know something: Ask AI.
That’s right. We’re not leaving this one up to the so-called experts. They’re wrong every bit as often as they’re right. Thanks. Big help they are.
And besides, we basically have the entire recorded history of the written world at our fingertips, getting smarter and smarter every single day and just waiting to be accessed.
So, over to you, ChatGPT. Who is going to win the second-round NHL playoff series between the Oilers and Canucks?
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• I can’t predict the outcome of future events, including sports games like NHL playoff series. The outcome depends on various factors including team performance, player injuries, coaching strategies, and many other unpredictable elements. It’s best to watch the games and see how they unfold!
Huh? Too bad there wasn’t the technology available to compile all that information and process some sort of outcome percentage. Looks like someone still has a loooong way to go before we need to bother losing any sleep when it comes to the machines taking over the world. Good thing we didn’t ask you to tell us a joke. Wait …
• Here’s a hockey-themed joke for you:
Why did the hockey player bring string to the game?
Because he wanted to tie the score!
What, are you new? There are no ties in playoff hockey, ChatGPT. How about you try a funny joke?
• Absolutely, here’s a classic one for you:
Why was the hockey arena so cold?
Because there were a lot of fans!
Keep at it, ChatGPT. There’s still plenty of hockey left to play.
E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
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VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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