maybe?

It was a pretty cool play, but I don't think he really meant to PASS it to himself. He did flip the puck up and then went and got it himself...and scored. Sweet goal. Nail in coffin?

I don't think you can count the Oilers out yet. They need game three. And Edmonton is a huge home ice advantage. Not just noise, but overwelming emotion.
The big question will be who is the goalie. I still blame Murray for switching his goalie for game two of the '97 Stanley Cup. If you stay with Jussi Markkanen, at least you don't have to deal with the jitters again. Change to Conklin, and you make it game one for the third straight game. That's a tough place to be.

Unfortunately, I say count them out, although I hope I am incorrect. The thought of Lord Stanley going to a Nascar race makes me sick. I would much rather see the Cup in the Great White North.

I'd like to see the Oilers come back, but chances are really slim. If Carolina wins, it would be nice to see Brind'Amour get the MVP...but it'll probably go to Cam Ward.

"The thought of Lord Stanley going to a Nascar race"
I just threw up in my mouth.

just doesn't look like edmonton has enough firepower right now. Canes in 5. Southern crackers w/ the cup two years in a row. End the madness. And did anyone see this story on the Relentless Wine w/ Carolina's coach? I could picture millions of angry Canadiens flipping out on how this guy has his Juice for the cup ready after winning one game. Qui'nas pas paye!

Kleb, Gunning and myself all confirmed from the home office of Ciscos Bar that he did tip it in accidentally for the goal. Canes in 5.

from my seat at Fatty's (where were you Bender?) it looked like a designed self pass ... does Stillman get the G & A?

S over the C, to S....for the G!

Art's correct....tough goalie situation for MacT.
I think he will switch to Conklin in Game 3.....otherwise he would have pulled Markkanen after the fifth goal. i.e., why throw Conklin into Game 2 and get both goalies screwed up on the same night.
Edmonton has to put the horrors of the first game (losing Rolie and blowing the game) behind them.
Easy to say, hard to do.

I think stillman passed to himself.

Also, the Cane's put the screws to Rolly before he got hurt, scoring 4 unanswered goals.

I also think Edmonton's problem isn't between the pipes, it's between the ears. Those guys looked scared and played differently. Is that because they have no confidence in their goalie (who didn't miss any easy ones) or b/c the canes are just winning every F'n battle.

Cory Stillman has to be one of the most underrated players in the NHL. I'm fairly certain he was the second leading scorer for Tampa 2 years ago when they won the cup yet you never hear his name. Even this year, commentators talk about the Lightning having taken a step back because they lost Dave Andrychuk and Khabibulin but they never mention Stillman.

He absolutely passed to himself, Like Primeau did in game siz against Tampa. Watch how he immediately goes behind the net and avoids traffic after he flips the puck up. There was no delay like "I hope someone is there on the other side etc" in wich case he would have stayed to the left post hoping for a rebound. One of the best plays I have ever seen. To have the presence of mind to do that was incredible. I can't believe that OLN didn't make more of a fuss about it as it was the best goal of the playoffs.

Edmonton will win game three but will lose in six games. Don't forget how tough the Oilers are at home.

How about a al-Zarqawi chat. I wish they had sent in delta to drag his ass out of bed. Instead, he got the easy way out.

I don't know. I just watched it on NHL.com and I don't think he did it on purpose. Looked to me like he tried to bank it off the goalie, then realized it was just sitting on the other side and booked over to get the puck before anyone realized what happened.

No doubt though, he's definitely one of the most underrated out there.

I agree with Art that he tried to bank it in.

Was there a post game press conference last night? It seems like someone would have asked him if he was trying to bank it or if he was passing to himself.

Art ... we need a replay of the goal posted to the site.

Yes, unfortunately I haven't found one to link to. As soon as it pops up somewhere, I'll post it.

I just read an article about last night's game and that goal...and Stillman said he wasn't trying to pass it to himself at all, but when it went over/across the crease, he just went after it and backhanded it in. Great goal indeed.

Here's part of that article...

"Was it the backbreaker? Maybe it was," said Stillman, who admitted his pass to himself was more happenstance than design.

Stillman has scored the series clinching goal in the last four series he's been in, including the cup clincher against the flames. He's just not a fancy skater so he doesn't get the glory. At least not yet.

Oddly enough, I just took a poll on ESPN for ranking the top 10 most popular athletes today, and to no surprise, there were 4 basketball players, 2 NASCAR drivers, and no hockey players. "F" ESPN!

Stillman is great, but an idiot like Bobby Clarke would never see that.