Hartley Miller-Slap -Shots: Special Edition

By Hartley Miller

Canadian hockey fans are so desperate for a Stanley Cup champion that they are willing to temporarily change their allegiance and cheer the Edmonton Oilers.

It’s amazing how times have changed.  When the Oilers dominated the late 80's, they were among the most disliked teams in the nation, outside of the Alberta Capital.  Now, twenty-plus years later, one can't travel anywhere without seeing Oiler flags on car antennas.

So, why have so many hockey fans come out of the closet to support the Oilers?   Twenty years ago they were overwhelming favorites with a roster that included big name stars such as Gretzky,
Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, Anderson and Lowe.  Non Oiler fans may have respected these players, but they loved to hate them.  Now, as a lowly 8^th seed, they are the massive underdogs that have “scratched” their way to the Stanley Cup final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, fans enjoy David and Goliath stories, and will always side with the little guys, especially Canadian teams.  

 Edmonton's surprising playoff run has been well documented, with upset victories over Detroit, San Jose and Anaheim. Dark-horse teams in the past 10 years have all been beaten shortly after reaching the Stanley Cup final: Calgary losing to Tampa in 2004; Anaheim falling to New Jersey in 2003; Carolina coming up short against Detroit in 2002; Buffalo losing to Dallas in 1999; Washington swept by Detroit in 1998; and Colorado disposing of Florida in 1996. (In the years not mentioned in the past decade, there really was no clear cut favorite.)  Perhaps, lady luck has finally turned on the Oilers, especially if game one of the championship series is any indication of how the series will evolve.

This year's wild opener (a game that showed the new NHL can defy the odds and work on a rare occasion) will be remembered for four things; Chris Pronger becoming the first player to score on a penalty shot in a Cup final; Edmonton blowing a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 loss; the knee injury that ended Oilers starting goalie Dwayne Roloson’s magical playoff run; and back up goaltender Ty Conklin’s gaffe behind his own net that led to the Rod Brind'amour winner with 31.1 seconds left. The Oilers have not had to face adversity or key injuries in the post season, but that has changed, especially following the circumstances in a bizarre game one.

Prior to the series I stated on the radio that Carolina will win this series in 6 games. One game certainly does not secure my prediction, but the early indication is that midnight is approaching on Edmonton’s Cinderella Story. If the Hurricanes move on to win the championship, the so-called Oiler fans will go back in the closet.  However, if Edmonton rallies, completes the unthinkable, and defies all odds to capture the Stanley Cup, then Santa Claus is actually alive and well in the month of June.

Regardless of the final outcome, the “true” Oiler fans will continue to enjoy the ride. After all, while this Edmonton team is good, they may not be good enough to even make next year's playoffs.

Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the
PG Free Press. His e-mail address is hmiller@94xfm.com

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