At the end of the season”Edmonton” got in excellent shape, thanks to which they consistently earned points. In seven games, the team has just one defeat to Vancouver (3:6). Goalkeeper Koskinen played awful, who had to be replaced in the first period after another missed puck. Only Kasatki were able again to interrupt the winning streak of the Oilers. The oilmen played at the home arena, where they could not stop the opponent’s pressure, allowing them to create too many dangerous chances, which is why they had to give up with a score of 1:4. Thanks to their excellent results, Edmonton finished second in the Northern Division with 72 points.
It will be difficult for Nashville to win away in this series, because even during the regular season, they earned most of points on the home court. We can say that in the first match John Hines’ team defended well in the minority and, despite a large amount of penalty time, never conceded in unequal compositions. But too many shots to the opponent allowed the defenders to inflict, which became one of the key factors in the defeat. In general, Nashville focuses on attacking under Hynes, but, as the opening meeting showed, it is very problematic for him to cope with the defensive redoubts of Carolina.
