June 17, 2022 by Ryan Lotsberg

The first edition of could become a battle for Western Conference supremacy for the rest of the 2020s wasn’t much of a battle at all, as the Edmonton Oilers were swept away by the Colorado Avalanche. Congratulations to Joe Sakic, Jared Bednar, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the rest of the Avalanche organization. They have a fantastic team.

It’s always disappointing to see your team lose in the playoffs, but I’m not as down about it as one might expect. There were a lot of thoughts that were going through my head as I walked home from Rogers Place following the Oilers’ 6-5 overtime loss in Game 4.

The thing I love most about sports is the comradery. There’s no feeling quite like being one of more than 18,000 strong cheering for the same thing. I’ll remember getting to be amongst Oilers fans during the first playoff run with fans allowed after the pandemic. Rogers Place was much more fun with Oilers hockey being played and Oilers fans in the stands! Game 7 against the Kings was the loudest I’ve ever heard Rogers Place. It was amazing to be a part of that atmosphere!

This was an exciting and memorable playoff run that was full of memories that I’ll cherish forever. This was the year that we finally got to see the Ice District Plaza or the “Moss Pit” come to life. I’ve been waiting for years to get to watch playoff hockey there, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. If you didn’t get a chance to go there to watch a game, I highly recommend it! The standing isn’t great, but the atmosphere is well worth it!

I thoroughly enjoyed being in the crowds chanting outside the Hall of Fame room on 104 Avenue! Being able to see the people being interviewed and being able to hear the fans in the background during the interviews is such a unique thing about Rogers Place. That spot on 104th Avenue is where fans really got the chance to let their pent up excitement out.

I thought about how Leon Draisaitl had four assists on one leg in that game. I thought about how Connor McDavid and Draisaitl are going to be the two leading scorers of the playoffs after the Conference Finals. I thought about how McDavid could still win the playoff scoring race even after only playing three rounds. I thought about the strength and perseverance it took for Darnell Nurse to play through a torn hip flexor injury. I thought about how good this team could be if Draisaitl and Nurse were healthy.

I thought about the lessons that this team learned this season. This team fought through adversity. They fought through a two month stretch where they won two games. They allowed the first goal in almost every game in that two month stretch. They fought through a bout of COVID-19. They went through a coaching change. People were expecting them to miss the playoffs at one point, and they made the Conference Finals. They faced elimination on the road and won a game seven at home. They allowed nine goals in a playoff game against their arch rivals and won their next four games in a row. They also learned about the pain and sacrifice it takes to win in the playoffs.

Now that the dust has settled, the horns have stopped honking in the downtown core, and the chanting on 104 Avenue has ceased, I can look back at this spring fondly as the one that the Oilers proved themselves to be Stanley Cup contenders. We may have lost in the Conference Finals, but we won the Battle of Alberta!

This was a fantastic run by the Oilers, but they fell short of the ultimate goal. They know that there’s another step or two for them to take before they win the Stanley Cup. They will be hungrier after getting a taste of the Conference Finals and watching a trophy presentation on their home ice.

I also thought about what’s to come on my walk home from game four. Don’t worry about the Oilers. They will be back. This is just the beginning of the championship window for McDavid and Draisaitl’s Oilers. There will be many more nights of chanting on 104 Avenue.