Ducks win 6-3 against the Oilers

Yesterday, when writing about the Oilers game 3 win, I mentioned that they came up with the victory in a game they should've lost, and that they looked like a team that didn't have their legs. Well tonight, the Oilers had absolutely no legs, and if it wasn't for another subpar performance by the Ducks goaltender (Giguere was in net tonight, not Bryzgalov), they would've never even been in the game.

The first period was as huge a dominance as I have ever seen, and I am not hyperboling here. The shots, at the end of the period, were 25-3 Anaheim. The score was 3-0, but without a couple of amazing saves by Roloson, it could've easily been 4-0 or 5-0.

The second period washard fought by both teams, and Edmonton did show a lot of heart. But Giguere couldn't come up with any big saves, and for a moment there, it looked like the Oilers might again get by on heart, great goaltending and opportunistic offense. But no, not this time. This time, Roloson, while still excellent, did look human. This time, the Oilers just couldn't muster up enough effort. This time, they suffered defensive breakdown after defensive breakdown. The truth is, while the Oilers still lead 3-1, they have only truly been the best team in one of those games. They need to wake up quickly, get their legs again, or they might wake up next Tuesday with the series tied 3-3.

Some will say I am too quick to jump at conclusions and that the series could also end Saturday night. Well, I hope so. But the reality is the Oilers have been badly, and I emphasize badly, outplayed in the last 2 games. In the last 4 periods, Roloson has given up 9 goals. And he cannot steal every game for the Oil. They Ducks have figured out how to get to him and how to put pucks in the net. At some point in this series, Edmonton are going to have to protect him better than that, and they are going to have to start playing like they did at the end of the Sharks series. Bryzgalov was adequate at best during this series, and tonight Giguere's play was shoddy. If the Oilers can get 30 shots on him, they could score 5 or 6 goals. But the Oilers have played a lot and very hard in these playoffs, and are now reeling from the flu. Here's to hoping they find the energy to win one more game!

By the way, I'm off to Montreal for the weekend, and it looks like a pretty packed one indeed. I'll be back with my next post on Tuesday night. Until then, remember to work hard, but play harder!

See ya kids!

The Dwarf