Round 1 NJ(Houlanov) v EDM (Iceguy94) - Season 2

[RedWingDevil]

Rather than using videos, I'm gonna have to use the summaries, so you're gonna have to use your imagination!

The round 1 matchups end with the best series saved for last. The 3rd seeded New Jersey Devils try to knock out the 6th seeded Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had some ups and downs this season, but fought for every earned win by the hand of Mario Lemieux. The Devils showed that they were a strong team in the regular season and are one of the candidates for the Stanley Cup.

Game 1

The Devils needed a fast start for the game, and it came none the faster with a rapid one-timer by MacLean nailing it past Hextall with the help of Sundin and Zalapski. The Oilers responded with a quick strike by Lemieux thanks to a nice pass from Bondra to tie it up. Things would get really bad for Edmonton as Super Mario went down with bruised ribs and would not come back for the rest of the game. Sundin scores the last goal for the 1st period and Sandstrom didn't waste too much time getting the 2nd period started with a goal, teaming up with Sundin and MacLean. Joe Mullen, stepping in for Lemieux, brings the Oilers closer to the game with 30 seconds left for the end of the 2nd period, but that would be it for Edmonton as the Devils kept up the onslaught and Ed Belfour made sure there wasn't much damage done for the rest of the night. NJ 1-0

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=782

Game 2

The Oilers would not let a shaky start get to them and decided to strike the Devils in their own turf as Lemieux gives Edmonton a headstart 11 seconds into the game as he whizzes past Befour for the score, set up by a quick pass by Rob Blake from deep in the Oilers' zone. Savard would add another score exactly at the first minute with a nice team-up between Savard, Lemieux and Bondra for the 2-0. Mario would go on to score yet again, as Hextall makes a long pass to Bondra at open ice and sets up Lemieux for a blistering one-timer that Belfour couldn't stop for the 3-0. Deep in the 2nd period, Savard would score again with a pass from Bondra as he gets a shot past Belfour for the final goal of the game. Hextall didn't sweat a lot, stopping all 5 shots that came his way as the Oilers shut the door on the Devils and came away with better results from the Meadowlands than the experts gave them credit for. Series tied at 1-1

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=783

Game 3

The Oilers come back home in what would be a wild night that would be dubbed 'The Night of Le Magnifique', as the report will soon show. Lemieux and Bondra made for a good team with 2 goals to get things started as Edmonton jumps to a 2-0 lead; New Jersey strikes back by the hands of MacLean and Tomás Sandstrom as they pluck the lead off the Oilers, but Super Mario ties it up with his hat trick and intermission went 3-3 for all The bad news for the Devils is that Mats Sundin was lost for the night with a sprained ankle that would nag him for the rest of the game and would not return. The slugfest resumed with strikes by Sandstrom and MacLean yet again for New Jersey, but 2 more scores by Lemieux and 1 goal by Savard would give more blows to the Devils as Edmonton takes the lead for intermission. It would be Super Mario's show for the rest of the night as he constantly got to Belfour's nerves and seemed to struck gold every time he got the puck, securing 3 more scores to put the game out of reach. As Bondra went down late in the 3rd period, Stephan Lebeau stepped in and got 2 free penalty shots on breakaways and nailed them both, surprising Belfour in both attempts and MacLean went to score the last goal for the Devils this evening. In the end, the Oilers came away the victors in this white-knuckle dogfight much to the home crowd's enjoyment. EDM 2-1.

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=784

Game 4

A different dogfight would take place yet in Edmonton as the Oilers sought to try to pry off this series and earn a bigger lead. Ron Tugnutt started that night in Hextall's place following the brouhaha that took place the night before to give him a break and it worked. Bondra scored with a speedy goal with the game just underway with the cooperation from Lemieux and Tugnutt. Zalapski and MacLean scored lone goals for the Devils and got into intermission with the lead. But the Oilers struck back as usual as Blake picked up a rebound after an attempt by Bondra was blocked by Belfour and got his second attempt deep into the left post corner where the Eagle would never reach it for the tying score. Lemieux soon followed with more magic as he gets the lead for the Oilers 30 seconds just after Blake scored and got it done thanks to Kjell Samuelsson and Denis Savard. Le Magnifique scored again in the 3rd period, giving the Oilers more cushion and things got tighter as Sandstrom and Zalapski scored a goal on a 2-0 breakaway on which Tugnutt was defenseless, but the Oilers hung on and won a hard-earned victory and a 3-1 lead. How will the rest of the series play out...?

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=785

More to come tomorrow!

[RedWingDevil]

Game 5

The Oilers return to the Meadowlands, seeking to wrap up the series, but the Devils had other plans that night. Claude 'No relation to Mario' Lemieux got things started in a hurry with the first score of the night that jumpstarted New Jersey's attack that wouldn't be surmounted by Edmonton. Deep into the 1st period, Sundin and Cassels struck two tough blows to the Oilers' defense and capitalized on mistakes and Bondra's absence due to injury that gave them a 3-0 lead at intermission. Sandstrom's aim was true at nearly a minute into the 2nd period and Mario broke past the 0 mark with a goal for Edmonton after Samuelsson gave a pass to Savard, who set up Lemieux from the corner. Sandstrom puts the nail in the coffin and Mario gets another goal to complete the score. New Jersey gets some new life! EDM 3-2

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=786

Game 6

A homecoming to Edmonton might be what its team needed for its woes, but it turned out to be a terrible night later on. Sandstrom gave some clockwork domination for the Devils to answer Lemieux's quick strikes for Edmonton as the 2nd period got underway after a scoreless 1st period. Sundin brakes the tie at the waning minute on the 2nd period, only for Bondra to tie it up again shortly in the 3rd period. New Jersey broke the Oilers thanks to Sandstrom's accurate strikes and teamwork from Sundin, Claude and Zalapski, burying the Oilers with a late cavalcade of goals that sealed the deal. The Edmonton fans started to dread a playoff exit that could turn sour... Series tied 3-3.

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=787

Game 7

With new life and momentium, the Devils had to seize the moment and finish the job, but this time around, Edmonton's defense would pull through in the tough Meadowlands Arena. With all the players involved for the defense, the Oilers made sure that no one from New Jersey would do damage ever again as the 1st period again ended in a scoreless tie. Each team had a different game plan concerning how to neutralize the other and Lemieux finally made the first goal of the night with splendid work alongisde Bondra and Savard. Sundin answered by getting past Hextall to tie it up late in the period and this would become a nailbiter. Close to midway through the 3rd period, Super Mario made some magic yet again on a breakaway and set a nice floater above Belfour's leg that left the New Jersey crowd speechless. The Oilers held on with a tight-knit defense and pulled a big upset over a loaded Devils team as they get a grinding, but deserved 2-1 win. EDM wins 4-3.

http://www.nhl91.com/boxscore.asp?gameid=788