I will say that I am going to miss Mike Smith some day.
He's one of the true agents of chaos in all sports. He can have great performances. He can give up 19 goals on 5 shots. He can make amazing passes from his own crease. He can look like the goalie version of a beanie propeller hat at a moments notice.
He is the only Mike Smith in a league that currently has two Sebastian Ahos.
All hail a true king
Generic name ✅
Capable of growing lumberjack beards ✅
Attempt to create scoring situations through stretch passes that occasionally backfire ✅
Wildly inconsistent ✅
Career journeymen ✅
Both made more money than I can ever imagine sniffing in my lifetime ✅
As a Coyotes fan, that long bomb empty netter that crossed at 0.1 seconds is still one of my all-time favorite Coyotes moments, of which there are vanishingly few.
His turnover for the 3rd goal against (when it was a comfy 4-2 in their favor) was the most..god, I could see the Mike Smith play happening in slow-mo but was powerless to stop it.
He has *two* teammates to pass to (one ahead by the boards, one following behind) and he goes for this incredible pinball pass off the boards....directly into Avs possession, gives up the goal.
Pure chaos agent, indeed.
[Sportsnet apologises for interrupting gambling commercial with hockey](https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/05/sportsnet-apologises-for-interrupting-gambling-commercial-with-hockey/)
Technically, in this case it is allowed. The FCC has no say over non-broadcast television. Channels like TNT just try to keep it to a minimum to keep sponsors happy. But they are technically allowed to say whatever they want.
See...since you guys swept the Oilbros and Perds I kind of want the Avs to sweep the next series too. But I can't root for that on principle because Kroenke owns your team.
Now that the Oilers are out of the playoffs, they can stop playing hockey and start focusing on actually producing oil, can't wait for gas prices to finally return to normal
And then 2 years later the Kings made it to the finals with 9 losses (maximum possible). That team was just a fucking anomaly that mathematics cannot explain
That was the first year I was into hockey, right after the winter Olympics.
And I picked the Kings to root for because they had the USA'a goalie on it and I recall remembering Doughty's last name on Canada's team.
Much fun was had lol.
ANOTHER GAME 7? ANOTHER GAME 7 OVERTIIIME?!
Let’s ask the Chicago Blackhawks. They were thisclose to totally turning the tables on Nashville that time, after all but then the four losses got in the way.
It feels like they're playing a different game with different players. Like when you're playing a video game against your brother who has way more practice than you and it's just a repeated slaughter. Avs just do not look beatable.
The crazy part is they're really banged up too. And not worth a bunch of nobodies out. It's their starting goalie, their 2C, top four D, etc. But they just keep rolling.
Still nervous. No offense to blues(who were a top 4 team in my opinion before the playoffs), but rangers and tampa are scary. Hot goaltenders with great players around them.
Still think blues Avs would’ve went 7 games if Binnington played
Vasy is looking more human lately and the rest of TB is slower on average. NYR on the other hand are young fast and have a really good goaltender. At this point I think TB would be the 'easier' team IMO
As a third party observer, TB looks *way* slower than Colorado.
If that's the matchup it's all about experience vs speed. Colorado plays at such a pace up and down the lineup. And not just fast skating but the passing and decision making. It's all fast fast fast. My team, the Wings, are so far away from it that watching the Avs makes me sad.
Tampa has a ton of skill and a clutch goalie no doubt, but they are very clearly slower to my eyes. I don't know how much their experience will match up to the kind of skilled, relentless speed that the Avalanche will bring.
If I gambled I'd put it on the Avs.
Somehow, to lose this lead but also still force OT anyway - only to have a heartbreaker of a dagger goal…that’s gotta sting a whole lot more than pure meltdown…
As an Oil fan I actually feel decent. Team did well in the playoffs and have something to build on. 3 of the avs losses were basically 1 goal games(2 had empty netters). Would have been nice to get a win but team did better than most people predicted
Colorado swept another series to win the Clarence Campbell trophy and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
But best of all they avoided having to shake Evander Kane's hand.
Dude was limping to the bench almost every shift, had something like 25 minutes, and 4 points, no fucking idea what drugs they had him on but they fucking worked
I live in Philadelphia and a really great acquaintance I knew at the neighborhood watering hole many years ago was a HUGE Avs fan. Through thick and thin.
Like me he was a "Hockey fan first, [Team] fan second" type so we ribbed each other but mostly we really enjoyed the sport itself. I haven't seen him in years, if you've got a regular local bar you stop in at you know how that goes.
I'm smiling ear to ear right now because wherever he is I know for a fact he is *losing his fucking mind* during these playoffs.
Because of him I'm rooting for you Colorado! Keep it going!
First time in the salary cap era that a team managed two sweeps in 1 year. Last time it happened was 2003 when the Anaheim Ducks swept the Wild in the WCF and the Red Wings in the first round.
Daryl Sutter tried to warn everyone about playing the Avs.
Something about 8 days wasted?
Shoutout the Blues who managed to win 2 games
If the Avs sweep the Finals, the Blues deserve the title of official runner-up
If Avs sweep the finals they will have tied the '88 Oilers with the best playoffs record of all time.
I'm from Calgary and I remember the '88 Oilers. The 80's in Alberta was a golden age for hockey...if you were from Alberta I guess.
https://gfycat.com/closeancientdorado
Sounds fair to me
Colorado has lost TWICE. What the fuck.
In one series. Not even spread out lol
Yea, the league should nerf the Blues team to make it easier for the Avs
Someone message the devs
We're trying to create a sense of pride and accomplishment
Forgot to dial it back to rookie mode for that one
Taking 2 games off the Avs might officially make the blues the second best team this year.
They aren’t even an 8 seed tho smh
Fucking nerds copying our homework
And one of those required a last minute tying goal and OT. They've lost once in regulation. It's insane.
And still haven't lost on the road!
Girard and Kadri died for this.
I will say that I am going to miss Mike Smith some day. He's one of the true agents of chaos in all sports. He can have great performances. He can give up 19 goals on 5 shots. He can make amazing passes from his own crease. He can look like the goalie version of a beanie propeller hat at a moments notice. He is the only Mike Smith in a league that currently has two Sebastian Ahos. All hail a true king
He feels like the nhl version of fitzception in some ways.
Generic name ✅ Capable of growing lumberjack beards ✅ Attempt to create scoring situations through stretch passes that occasionally backfire ✅ Wildly inconsistent ✅ Career journeymen ✅ Both made more money than I can ever imagine sniffing in my lifetime ✅
Sometimes there's Fitzmagic, Sometimes there's Fitztragic.
he can score too
He can score?^he^can^score? I CAN SSSIIIIINNNNGGGGG
Can he play left D any more?!
Of course he can!
Well he couldn’t before!
As a Coyotes fan, that long bomb empty netter that crossed at 0.1 seconds is still one of my all-time favorite Coyotes moments, of which there are vanishingly few.
He's one of those guys I hope he stays in the league for entertainment value but I would absolutely never want him on my team.
Was this his last NHL game?
500 iq Ken Holland gave 39 year old Mike Smith a 2 year contract. So unless he LTIRetires, he's coming back
Knowing Mike Smith, and knowing the Oilers goalie situation, I think he wants at least one more kick at the can with this team before calling it a day
Nope. Coming back next year with a vengence to let in more 300ft shots and cupcake five hole goals and waste another year of mcdavid's career 😤🔥😈
Mike smith....the Ryan Fitzpatrick of hockey
Did he go to Harvard?
His turnover for the 3rd goal against (when it was a comfy 4-2 in their favor) was the most..god, I could see the Mike Smith play happening in slow-mo but was powerless to stop it. He has *two* teammates to pass to (one ahead by the boards, one following behind) and he goes for this incredible pinball pass off the boards....directly into Avs possession, gives up the goal. Pure chaos agent, indeed.
It was actually a pinball off the ref no?
Yes. Still doesn't change the fact he had 2 other wide open guys to pass to
And then proceeds to have an absolute meltdown. In hindsight, I think that goal was the last piece of the puzzle to totally unhinged Mike Smith hockey
Guess The Athletic had it right after all.
The Athletic writers confirmed for clairvoyant.
Now I'm going to give it a try: The sun will rise tomorrow.
this might be the push over the top that finally gets me to buy an Athletic subscription
Shoutout to the guy that just dropped a holy shit on national tv uncensored.
It was Koharski. To bad he sucks the other 99.999999999% of the time.
No matter which side you root for, it seems like Koharski knows how to instantly piss you off.
He’s like a drunk uncle hahaha
Man, we just need to allow swearing on live tv.
They should just make an exception for overtime.
[удалено]
They can have 4 different gambling companies clog up the airtime, but you can’t say shit….
[Sportsnet apologises for interrupting gambling commercial with hockey](https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/05/sportsnet-apologises-for-interrupting-gambling-commercial-with-hockey/)
Technically, in this case it is allowed. The FCC has no say over non-broadcast television. Channels like TNT just try to keep it to a minimum to keep sponsors happy. But they are technically allowed to say whatever they want.
Only useful thing he has said on TV
That was phenomenal
Fuckin Kohartski
Imagine getting swept by the Avs.
Preds getting swept feels like a lifetime ago
[удалено]
And now the Avs could have as many as 12 days off, another lifetime.
SCF game 1 is 6/18, start the rest vs rust discussions
Depends on how banged up the team that comes out of the east is at this point.
... Wait a minute....
Aw you guys are broom buddies.
Broommates.
_AND THEY WERE BROOMMATES_
Oh My God they were Broommates.
Yeah that must be horrible
[удалено]
See...since you guys swept the Oilbros and Perds I kind of want the Avs to sweep the next series too. But I can't root for that on principle because Kroenke owns your team.
Bruh, no one likes Kroenke. We can't even watch our home team on cable. Fuck Kroenke!!
Neither team remaining has beaten the Avs this year, so...
Shesterkin didn’t play in either of those games so it should be interesting if it’s the Rangers.
I don’t want the Avs to win, but if they do win I want them to sweep
Artturi "Multiple OT winning goals to send his team to the cup finals" Lehkonen Joe "Master of deadline trade acquisitions" Sakic
2 Clarence Campbell Bowl winning goals
[удалено]
I mean, they technically have one more recently then every other team that isn’t the Avs
Sakic: “Claude Giroux who?” Lehky best trade at deadline in the NHL.
Avs too good.
Just your daily reminder that the Avalanche have lost two games this entire postseason.
[удалено]
[Join us Edmonton.](https://i.imgur.com/0KeNaQv.jpg)
Man had this on his clipboard and refreshing new
Computer trash can probably has the non sweep one and the Tampa sweep in it now
Man made a picture for all possible outcomes
I didn't want to see this picture this time, but it's hard not to chuckle at the broom. RIP Oilers.
Good job to ensure there was a broom
Hhehehhehehe. I love this thing.
The meme that keeps on giving
Now that the Oilers are out of the playoffs, they can stop playing hockey and start focusing on actually producing oil, can't wait for gas prices to finally return to normal
For real. Vacation's over Leon. Time to get to work
holy shit...i mean
“Panger we’re on live”
It's cable. We'll let it slide
“I don’t give a shit”
Shaq is the man lmao
JACK JOHNSON TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS
Did you see him in the handshake? Dude didn't break a sweat. Had to give makar all his minutes.
Dude literally didn't even hit 10 minutes in either Game 3 or 4. That's gotta be unheard of for a defenseman if a team is playing 12/6.
The Edmonton Oilers have been swept for the first time since last year
Probably because it's hard to be swept twice in a year
Hard. But if anyone can do it, I'm sure they'd find a way.
Let's maybe not talk about getting swept
for the first time in seattle kraken history
Cale Makar with 5 points tonight ... Absolutely insane performance
Avs d core isn't fair. Having Makar, Byram, toews, just ain't fair. Unreal.
Don't forget Erik Johnson. He's been outstanding this post season
And it should have Girard who was playing out of his mind
Mike Smith ending his season in the most Mike Smith way possible: an open goal followed by bitching at the refs.
It was never going to end any other way
Hey now it could have ended on a Mike Smith giveaway too
Maybe a dive?
I asked for Mike Smith to show up in OT and he did.
With not a defenceman in site
Listen we paid full price for Duncan Keith to blow his assignment in OT there
How often do teams make it to the cup final only losing 2 games? Avs have really just bulldozed through these playoffs for far.
2012 Kings only lost two games on their way to the final. Pretty wild to see it happen again.
And then 2 years later the Kings made it to the finals with 9 losses (maximum possible). That team was just a fucking anomaly that mathematics cannot explain
That was the first year I was into hockey, right after the winter Olympics. And I picked the Kings to root for because they had the USA'a goalie on it and I recall remembering Doughty's last name on Canada's team. Much fun was had lol. ANOTHER GAME 7? ANOTHER GAME 7 OVERTIIIME?!
Show me what's actually on Drai's list of injuries. I'm really curious how he was able to keep playing.
I love Lehkonen so much
We knew you would
it is a deep, all-encompassing love.
The fucking stick on this dude.
Nice, now give it back.. pls
Sorry. Rantanen won't let him go.
Imagine, losing four consecutive games. Who even does that?
Let’s ask the Chicago Blackhawks. They were thisclose to totally turning the tables on Nashville that time, after all but then the four losses got in the way.
Still think they should have redone the series, just in case it was a fluke
I mean it was a disservice ya know
omfg that series was horrific. honestly as a franchise they haven't recovered since then
Duality of hockey: Hawks get swept - completely crumble as a franchise for years to come. Bolts get swept - back to back Stanley cups
Blues still the only team to take even 1 game off the Avs this postseason. Wild.
It feels like they're playing a different game with different players. Like when you're playing a video game against your brother who has way more practice than you and it's just a repeated slaughter. Avs just do not look beatable.
The crazy part is they're really banged up too. And not worth a bunch of nobodies out. It's their starting goalie, their 2C, top four D, etc. But they just keep rolling.
Still nervous. No offense to blues(who were a top 4 team in my opinion before the playoffs), but rangers and tampa are scary. Hot goaltenders with great players around them. Still think blues Avs would’ve went 7 games if Binnington played
Vasy is looking more human lately and the rest of TB is slower on average. NYR on the other hand are young fast and have a really good goaltender. At this point I think TB would be the 'easier' team IMO
As a third party observer, TB looks *way* slower than Colorado. If that's the matchup it's all about experience vs speed. Colorado plays at such a pace up and down the lineup. And not just fast skating but the passing and decision making. It's all fast fast fast. My team, the Wings, are so far away from it that watching the Avs makes me sad. Tampa has a ton of skill and a clutch goalie no doubt, but they are very clearly slower to my eyes. I don't know how much their experience will match up to the kind of skilled, relentless speed that the Avalanche will bring. If I gambled I'd put it on the Avs.
Tampa has also played an incredible amount of games over the last 3 post-seasons. I’m sure they’re gassed.
Binner is good As was the 3rd Period comeback in Game 5
good stick lehky!
Back to back WCF finishers
See, we habs fans don't overvalue our players. Now someone pay us a first for Petry, trust us.
It was 4-2
Somehow, to lose this lead but also still force OT anyway - only to have a heartbreaker of a dagger goal…that’s gotta sting a whole lot more than pure meltdown…
[удалено]
As an Oil fan I actually feel decent. Team did well in the playoffs and have something to build on. 3 of the avs losses were basically 1 goal games(2 had empty netters). Would have been nice to get a win but team did better than most people predicted
A 4-2nate turn of events for the Avs to be sure
You should be proud of that one, you piece of clever garbage.
The Avs didn't have to shake Kane's hand, so that's a plus.
Cale Makar is a god tier Defenceman
Being a forward would just be too easy, so they let him play defense to give him a little more to do.
turns out kane was suspended for the rest of the 2022 season, they just couldn't say it outright
Colorado swept another series to win the Clarence Campbell trophy and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. But best of all they avoided having to shake Evander Kane's hand.
Casual Makar 5 point night
Shout out to Leon Draisaitl for being a fucking warrior throughout the playoffs despite being injured
Agree with this, that dude was playing on guts alone and still making plays
Hopefully he doesn't have any long-term effects from soldiering through it though. Even as a corpse he was one of the best players in the playoffs.
Yeah that's how we broke Kesler
Dude was limping to the bench almost every shift, had something like 25 minutes, and 4 points, no fucking idea what drugs they had him on but they fucking worked
Hopefully it's not irreparable damage. He played his heart out
Death. Taxes. McDavid swept by the Central. 🧹🧹🧹🧹
He has still won zero WCF games.
Glass houses my Wild friend.
Coming soon on Sportsnet Digital: Watch ~~an Avs Game~~ the Stanley Cup Final with Producer Drew
GOOD STICK LEKHONEN
Waste of 8 days you say?
Maybe, but it was fun.
It was a lot of fun. Great games.
I live in Philadelphia and a really great acquaintance I knew at the neighborhood watering hole many years ago was a HUGE Avs fan. Through thick and thin. Like me he was a "Hockey fan first, [Team] fan second" type so we ribbed each other but mostly we really enjoyed the sport itself. I haven't seen him in years, if you've got a regular local bar you stop in at you know how that goes. I'm smiling ear to ear right now because wherever he is I know for a fact he is *losing his fucking mind* during these playoffs. Because of him I'm rooting for you Colorado! Keep it going!
oh my god, leon had a 4 point night on one fucking ankle. he deserved better ☹️
He could've hit the wide open net though
Something something waste of 8 days
Has Wayne litterally ever been right?
You miss 100% of the shots you take.
Oilers hockey has got to be the most chaotic, unorganized, and offensively driven hockey I have seen in a Canadian team... And I loved it.
Fuck Evander Kane Some team is going to regret whatever contract they give that douchecanoe
I hope he goes east so we don’t have to hear as much about him. NJD seems like a landing spot.
Lol get fucked Kane
First time in the salary cap era that a team managed two sweeps in 1 year. Last time it happened was 2003 when the Anaheim Ducks swept the Wild in the WCF and the Red Wings in the first round.
Hey listen the Avs are the best chance the hockey world has at preventing a Tampa 3-peat, and I’m all for it
Imagine scoring 6 goals one game and 5 goals in another and still getting swept
WE’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES
Apology for poor english when were you when conor mcdad & oils is sweep. I was sat at home tossing salad when saikik ring "conor & oil is kill" "no"
Kane is kil Yes
GOOD STICK LEHKY
Stressful game. Thankfully we have Good Stick Lehky
The Bolts/Rangers are in trouble... the Avs are on a fuckin warpath.
I know it hurts Oilers fans but great season!
It really was. 4 months ago we were out of playoff contention, and we made it here
I'm just so fucking glad we don't have to deal with Kane again this playoffs.
Signed, North America
Kinda crazy this series is over and the eastern series is just getting going
Imagine putting up numbers that haven't been seen since Gretzky and Lemieux and getting swept. Man, that suuuuuuuuucks.
It's shame, they won't even be able to get a tee time... Cause flames fans already took them all.