Derek21 Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=167193&hubname=nhl Canadian Press 5/28/2006 1:59:09 AM EDMONTON (CP) - Thousands of Oiler fans spilled into the streets moments after eighth-place Edmonton beat Anaheim in Game 5 to advance to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since the era of Gretzky and Messier. The bars on Whyte Ave. were bursting with excitement in the final moments of the Oilers 2-1 victory in Anaheim, clinching the best-of-seven Western Conference final. "A team that shouldn't have even made the playoffs and they're now all the way to the Stanley Cup," said Fred Schneider, as he watched the celebrations on Whyte. "I think they've gone further than most people expected them to go. But hey, they're on a roll right now," said Schneider. "I think it's been their goalie that's kept them in the game." In Kandahar, Afghanistan, 40 Canadian soldiers gathered in the large, air-conditioned tent known as Canada House to watch the game. "It's great to have Canadian team in the final," said Master Cpl. Troy Weiss. Edmonton has been boiling with exuberance as the Oilers eliminated first-place Detroit; rebounded with four straight wins against San Jose after losing the first two games; then dispatching Anaheim in five games. The deafening din inside Rexall Place during Oiler playoff games this season has earned Edmonton fans the bragging rights as the loudest in the NHL. Announcers have been holding up sound metres that have measured up to 106 decibels, close to the sound of a jet taking off. But the fans along Whyte Ave. have also been making headlines, with up to 20,000 filling the streets after key victories. Darren Bakke, one of the countless thousands on Whyte Ave. Saturday nights, says he's watched in frustration for a dozen years as Edmonton either missed the playoffs or got bumped out early. "We've been waiting for this for so many years, all the diehard Oiler fans," he said while his friends waved a large Oiler flag. "It's the new generation of Oiler fans gettin' their worth." "It's so much better when you have to work harder for it, when you're the underdog and you're not expected to win," said Bakke, 32, who runs a downtown restaurant and bar. Bakke says he marvels that just one year after the new collective bargaining agreement, Kevin Lowe has put together a team that's advancing to the Stanley Cup final. "We went through so many years just trying to watch our team keep up," he said. "And now we're going to the finals and anything could happen." Daryl Harpe, 39, says he's especially glad to see the Oilers end the Western final quickly, giving players extra time to recover from a flu bug that has ravaged the team for more than a week. "We've been sick and we need to get this bug out of us so we can get going," Harpe said as he joined the celebration, that eventually forced the closure of Whyte Ave. as dozens of police finally gave up trying to keep fans on the sidewalks. "They're a young team, so they'll be full of pee and vinegar right from the get go in the finals." Brad Brathwaite, 29, just got back in town from his job in Alberta's booming oilfields and says he's going to do whatever it takes to get tickets to the finals. "We're definitely going to take the cup home. The Western Conference is must tougher than the East," said Brathwaite, who was wearing an Oilers jersey as he strode along Whyte. The downtown area was also jammed with fans after the game and people were also lining other busy streets with Oilers flags and pennants. Four teen girls were waving an Oilers flag from a bridge above a busy freeway that was jammed with cars honking their horns. It's been 16 years since the Oilers were in a Stanley Cup final, but Edmonton's official slogan is City of Champions after five Stanley Cup victories beginning in 1984 and ending with a fifth cup in 1990. The Oilers will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres. That series is tied 2-2. Edmonton's victory raises hopes that a Canadian team will win the Stanley Cup for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens claimed it in 1993. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabelle Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 It really bothers me when people say that the OIlers are canadas team or when fans of anaheim would chant USA...do these people not realize that Anaheim had more canadian players that Edmonton..idiots! Anyhow, good for the fans in deadmonton...enjoy it while it lasts hosers! Even if carolina wins the series i will cheer for the Canes..I'm a big devils fan..but i have hated the oilers longer than i have loved the Devils.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Don't hold back annabanana! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 What's she going to do if Edmonton wins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilers88cup Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some! The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Fan Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 (edited) Total classy fans! Oil Fan "Hey bob let's go burn that telephone booth" Oil Fan #2 "Sure I'm in for it" Keep it up Edmonton fans! Edited May 29, 2006 by Duck Fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice dog Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some!The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! the devils would have easily sold out all there games if they were playing at rexall place... what is the capacity of that barn 16,000+ ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 What's she going to do if Edmonton wins? Jump. The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some!The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! Gee that's nice of you. Nice friend you have there Derek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some!The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! Do you even read these boards? Most of the boards have been rooting for the Oilers not against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some!The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! At least in our parking lot parties we've had something to celebrate. And last I checked, sellouts don't get you any banners or rings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabelle Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 I won't jump, but i may hurt my part time roomate (my mom) lmao,,,she's cheering for edmonton so the games are pretty intense, last game she was here i actually threw a piece of pizza when she was cheering.. Yeah they fill up Rexall, what else do they have to cheer for? they live in EDMONTON..what are they going to do? hang out at west edmonton mall? You would think that i live in some exciting city by the sounds of my posts..lol (us peggers sit around and stare at the pile of dirt that was the Winnipeg Arena, now THAT'S A GOOD TIME!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven M. Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 The Oilers have had an amazing run.Suprising me very much.Oh deadmonton is still in the devils are not.Eat some!The Oilers have some of the greatest fans in the nhl.Devils fans are lame.Can't even sell out playoff games.Parade your Cup around a parking lot,What a joke! Go Oilers Go! Well, that's all it took for me to stop rooting for Edmonton. Let's go Sabres still... if they lose... let's go 2006-2007 season! Show up already!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefiestygoat Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Well, that's all it took for me to stop rooting for Edmonton.Let's go Sabres still... if they lose... let's go 2006-2007 season! Show up already!! I agree 100%. I hope the Oilers crash and burn, same with Carolina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas0nMacIsaac Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 At least in our parking lot parties we've had something to celebrate.And last I checked, sellouts don't get you any banners or rings. Saying this to the fan of a team who has witnessed 6 stanley cup wins over his lifetime....not exactly a smart thing to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven M. Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Saying this to the fan of a team who has witnessed 6 stanley cup wins over his lifetime....not exactly a smart thing to say. Here at NJDevs, we only see history as the last decade. (+1 year before that.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Saying this to the fan of a team who has witnessed 6 stanley cup wins over his lifetime....not exactly a smart thing to say. So that gives him the right to talk down to us? What sort of rights to Habs fans have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabelle Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 don't diss the habs fans..or they will seperate from the rest of the league......KIDDING!!! i mean i'm a canucks fan first, you don't see me bragging about how great the Nucks are...oh wait....it's because they aren't..my bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas0nMacIsaac Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 So that gives him the right to talk down to us? What sort of rights to Habs fans have? I think he was under the impression that we were bad mouthing the fans of Edmonton by posting this article. Edmonton fans like to think they have the best fans in the world...I don't think they hold a candle to Montreal. Not a bad thing...just Montreal fans are everywhereeeee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think he was under the impression that we were bad mouthing the fans of Edmonton by posting this article. Edmonton fans like to think they have the best fans in the world...I don't think they hold a candle to Montreal. Not a bad thing...just Montreal fans are everywhereeeee Perhaps, but it was his own friend (if my observations are correct) that posted the article and he's not even a Devils fan! So why get all disrespectful towards Devils fans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefiestygoat Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Perhaps, but it was his own friend (if my observations are correct) that posted the article and he's not even a Devils fan! So why get all disrespectful towards Devils fans? Maybe too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted May 30, 2006 Author Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think I know what it is. But I'm staying out of this one. I might talk to him tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think he was under the impression that we were bad mouthing the fans of Edmonton by posting this article. Edmonton fans like to think they have the best fans in the world...I don't think they hold a candle to Montreal. Not a bad thing...just Montreal fans are everywhereeeee The article doesn't even bad mouth Oilers fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Saying this to the fan of a team who has witnessed 6 stanley cup wins over his lifetime....not exactly a smart thing to say. What I was trying to get it was that we've won 3 Stanley Cups since they won their last one. And the sellouts don't win you Cups comment was directed at his knock at our attendance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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