THE OILERS: A CONVERSATION

So, do you think Oilers GM Kevin Lowe and coach Craig MacTavish will ask their former colleague John Muckler in Ottawa about how to handle a goaltending crisis? Just wonderin'.

Again, only the NHL could have this kind of luck: a summer blockbuster where one of the good guys gets killed off in the first 15 minutes.

To follow up on this morning's post about Dwayne Roloson, it's only human nature to go from saying "The Oilers are up the creek, sans paddle," last night to trying to formulate some hypothesis today where Ty Conklin or Jussi Markanen turns into the reincarnation of Terry Sawchuk -- especially if you're a broadcaster or sportswriter and your M.O. is as much about ratings and readership levels as is it about telling fans what they need to hear.

Rogers Sportsnet's Darren Dreger wrote earlier today about how he can't shake the feeling Roloson will return, couching his hunch under the guise of Call-Me-Crazy-But...

But... A NHL goalie's knee ligaments can probably take more abuse than 99.44% of the general population's. But... before leaving work at the Sun last night, yours truly saw a photograph that captured the precise moment that all 200-odd pounds of Andrew Ladd -- who had just been knocked down after skating to the net at high speed -- landed on Roloson's right leg.

It looked every bit like the third-degree MCL sprain that was confirmed shortly after I sat down to write this.

My sweet Lord, Dreger, it's bad enough when doctors play God. Now we've got sports reporters playing doctor and God.

I wish I could have the optimism my buddy Neil Acharya has, but I must have stepped out of line when they were passing out that chromosone. Today, I rolled out of bed at the crack of 1:30 p.m. to find a slew of MSN messages, as Neil tried to rally the cause:

Acharya: I'm pissed
Acharya: about the oilers
Acharya: i think we can pull through
Acharya: u?
Sager: Neil, I think their chances went from 50/50 to about 15/85
Acharya: true or false
Acharya: chris osgood sucks
Acharya: true or false
Acharya: the wings won with him in net
Sager: you are using extreme, anecdotal evidence. Also, I believe the Wings had Hasek in 2002 and Vernon in one of those Cup runs. I realize it's human nature to say, "It's over," and then try to bargain and say, "Maybe they can win with Jussi Markkanen."

But that's like last year, saying the Jays could stay in the race without Halladay.

("Extreme, anecdotal evidence"? As Jason Lee's character said in Almost Famous, "I sound like a dick!" Grumbled response: "That's because you ARE a dick." Anyways ...)

Sager: "Now I'm findin' out that it's so confusin' / No time left / and I know I'm losin'."
Acharya: yeah but this is different man ... the oilers can score ... they got the two best d in the series ... smith and pronger.
Sager: The Red Wings couldn't score?
Acharya: idiot
Acharya: what i'm saying is
Acharya: the oilers can put pucks past cam ward
Acharya: who overachieved last night
Acharya: they play tight d
Acharya: we still got a series
Sager: the Oilers gave up 35 shots a game to the Ducks
Sager: and Roli stopped everything. Now they're gonna play a guy who's been on the bench for 3 months.... and had a save percentage under .900, which is unheard of these days.

(Jussi Markkanen wasn't the only goalie whose save percentage dipped below .900 this year -- but his .880 mark was dead last among the league's 42 regular netminders. For you Bruins fans who might be curious, that's only since Andrew Raycroft had enough mercy pulls to fall just short of playing enough minutes to qualify... once a Kingston Frontenac, always a Kingston Frontenac.)

Acharya: yeah well, neate, i'm saying, they can make a series of it
Sager: I think we could still have a series, don't get me wrong.
Sager: But the psychological impact.
Acharya: i think they are gonna win tomorrow
Acharya: and the next 2 in edmonton
Acharya: and it's going 7
Sager: so they're gonna blow a 3-1 lead?
Acharya (after a frustrated, sarcastic "yep"): nah man
Sager: But the Oilers don't have another goalie ready to play
Acharya: i wouldnt have said this
Acharya: if it was the leafs
Acharya: i would have said nothing

(The last line of Fahrenheit 9/11 seems especially germane here: "For once, we agreed.")

Acharya: i think the oilers have the speed and mental toughness to do this
Acharya: horcoff is gonna be huge
Acharya: u watch
Acharya: those games in edmonton

And finally, after we realized we'd both wasted the better part of a sunny spring afternoon, something we'll rue when the Canadian winter comes around...

Sager: I will say it's about 15/85 for Edmonton winning.... and 70/30 it will not end up a sweep.
Acharya: Edmonton in 7.

So who comes off better here? Neil, who's optimistic the Oilers are gonna pull this off somehow, some way, or me in all my boundless player-hatin'. You tell me.

Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca. By the way, if you work or live on the 10th floor or higher and see a falling figure go whooshing past your window, don't be alarmed: the Blue Jays pretty much do this every June.