I'd love to say I had faith in Conklin, but acid is right, I just don't think he's up to the task of a Stanley Cup Final. It's such a shame, I really thought the cup would come back to Canada this year.

What kind of fan are you? "We're done".... cmon man. Your team got that far and you are going to give up on them? Conklin will prove he's up to the challenge.

Well I haven't seen too much of his play but what I have seen is sub-par at best. To be fair, when Hasek got hurt, nobody though the sens would even last 4 games in the first round but this is the finals and I think the two situations aren't terribly comparable.

As great as Roloson has been, he's the one who blew the 3-0 lead, not Conklin. The last goal wasn't Conklin's fault either. He did a clean hand-off and he wasn't the one who fumbled the puck.

There is also a chance saying Roloson is out is just a smoke-screen. I didn't see his knee get bent awkwardly or anything.

Do not. Ever. Question my Oilers fandom.

There is a difference between having faith in your team, and having to accept the harsh reality. Conklin will not win us a cup. Period. Markannen has a chance, a small chance, but in the end he is still a backup goalie. While I hope and pray that he can hold it together, he's still not Roli. I won't give up, I'll still watch every goddamn game in full Oilers gear, but what was a sure thing in my mind has become an outside chance.

I bet you're still crying about the Sabres beating the Flyers.

I'll question your fandom as much as I please. Your words in themselves are giving up. You talk about harsh reality like they've already lost. Please. Maybe during the regular season you say stuff like that, but not when your team is in the frickin Cup Finals. You've got to believe in your own damn team when you get this far. It's inexcusable not to.

Double Post:
Still? When did I ever cry about the series? I don't think I've even mentioned it in this topic. The Flyers were injury-plagued and lost. I've moved on. Next year will be different.

How so?

Oh, they'll lose to a different team.

No, you will not question my fandom. I was bleeding copper and blue all over Whyte Ave while your Flyers were getting there asses handed to them by Buffalo. I was the one predicting, no telling, everyone that they were going to win the cup during the Detroit series. But I was saying that with Roli the Goalie in net. Ask any Edmonton fan. Ask anyone in the city. Conklin is not a cup-winning goalie. He was sent back to the minors halfway through the season. Jussi is alright. I hope he can pull it together, but I don't know. Of course I hope that I'm wrong. I hope that I have to eat my words.

You seem hellbent on attempting to start something because I'm less than confident in our backups. How dare you call me less of a fan because of what I think. It's alright for the Flyers to be injury plagued and lose, but if an Edmonton fan suggests that the same thing may happen to his team, he's a disgrace?

The difference is, if they don't win the cup this year, they will next year when Roloson is back. The Flyers will still suck.

I've browsed a couple Oiler boards and all them seem to be united in thinking the Oilers will still win. If the Oilers don't win the Cup they are no better than the Flyers. You'll blame the loss on injury just like I blamed the Flyers exit on.

2nd place is the first loser. No one cares about finishing second. But for the record I'm pulling for the Oilers because I like how they play with that dog in them. I'm not trying to pick a fight with you dude, I'm just telling you to still believe your team can win. It pisses me off when people take championship visits for granted. You may never get there again, you better believe your team can take it or you have no real reason to watch.

That's hardly admitting a team's weakness. He completely backed off his original stance. "We're done" and "we're finished" is hardly being an idealist. It's called shriveling up in a corner when you as a fan face some adversity.

He's not being a realist. Saying his team is done is completely unrealistic.

and even if it was realistic, all realism goes out the window in a championship series.

No fan predicts their own team to lose a championship, I don't care how much of an underdog they are. You gotta get behind your team, and IMO you can't be 100% behind your team unless you think they can win the series.

I disagree, and I'll just leave it at that. I'd rather talk some NHL instead of arguing about this.

If anything, like Devo said, Acid's just being realistic. Roloson was the difference between the Oilers being where they are now, and fighting and clawing for that last seed like they were at the trade deadline.

Ask those same Oilers fans whose message boards you were perusing who got them into the playoffs at all, let alone who carried them this far, and you'll get one name from the overwhelming majority: Roloson. Without him, they wouldn't have even made it past Detroit.

I was originally predicting Canes in six, but without Roloson I'm not even sure Edmonton will be able to push it to five. Not to say they're gonna give up, because they're one of the grittiest, hardest-working teams in the league, but playoffs are won and lost on great goaltending alone, and while Carolina obviously has it, Edmonton's just tore up a knee.

They're done.

I don't want to say anything bad about former U of New Hampshire standout TyConk, but lest we forget that another UNH standout (Jason Krog) was on another Western Conference finalist (Mighty Ducks) when they bowed to the Devils a few years back.

And don't forget Jerry Azumah didn't exactly help the Bears win any Super Bowls.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nklinisLOL.jpg

I'm sure he will...:judge:

Losing Roloson is a monumental blow to the Oilers that I don't think they will be able to recover from. Regardless of your team spirit, the horizon stills looks rather grim.

I still think the Oilers win it, and I'm not even an Oilers fan. So to me it's not being realistic.

It's easy to jump ship when something bad goes wrong. When in 2004 the Eagles lost TO with a broken ankle did I go crying about how the season is over? No. I came right out and told everyone that they'd still make the Superbowl, and guess what? They did. With bums at receiver.

It ain't over til it's over people.

The Oilers were an 8th seed. They went down 2-0 against the Sharks. If this team had any quit in them they would've given up already. Seems like a team of destiny to me, and it's their destiny to forge.

Just a reminder:

The Eagles lost.

With TO. Go figure.

Who would've thought they'd make it without him and lose it with him?

It just shows you, sports are crazy and anything can happen. If the Oilers go down 3-0, then yes, I'd say it;'s realistic to think they will lose. Not this early.

LOL the Eagles lost to the Pats nuff said.

Blind faith is saying the Penguins will win the Cup, not saying a team can win because their starting goalie got hurt. I mean Roloson is good, but he's not the entire team.

Conklin was on the team for a reason. For situations like this. Now time to earn his paycheck.