"F*ck the Oilers": Canucks fans taunt Edmonton after playoff win
The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks seem to be on a collision course in the second round after both teams won their respective Game 4’s to each take 3-1 series leads last night.
A second-round matchup between the Oilers and Canucks can now be confirmed as early as Wednesday night. This would require Vancouver to finish off the Nashville Predators in Game 5 tomorrow and for the Oilers to dispatch the Kings on Wednesday.
It seems like Canucks fans understand what may be coming as they took to the streets last night with a clear message to their presumptive second-round opponents.
“F*ck the Oilers,” a crowd of Canucks fans chanted on Scott Road in the Vancouver suburbs of Surrey/Delta following their OT win against Nashville. It was one of many chants from the fans, who have been gathering at this same street corner after each Canucks playoff win.
F*** the Oilers chants at Scott Road #canucks pic.twitter.com/5Pesg777r0
— The Hockey Spotlight (@nhlspotlight) April 29, 2024
The rivalry between these two teams this season is more evident than ever before. The Canucks have found a way to win their way back into relevancy this season and narrowly beat out the Oilers for the top spot in the Pacific Division.
It would be the first time the Oilers and Canucks would meet each other in the playoffs since 1992, when Edmonton eliminated Vancouver in six games in the second round.
However, one can’t help thinking about the similarities between this and Toronto Maple Leafs fans chanting “We want Florida” last season. Sure, the Canucks swept the season series with the Oilers 4-0-0 without much trouble, but the playoffs are a completely new beast.
Three of those wins came early in the season when the Oilers were effectively broken and the final win near the end of the season was against a Connor McDavid-less Edmonton team. These two teams have not faced each other at full strength all season.
These also aren’t the Oilers of the past. Through this first round, they have shown that they can beat teams in different ways, from a 6-1 blowout one night to a 1-0 defensive battle the next. Taunting a team that you are not confirmed to be playing is a dangerous game, as you are providing the opposing team (and fan base) with potential whiteboard material before the series even starts.
Another rule of thumb is to not provoke a team with two of the very best playoff performers in the league: McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
We’ll see if these two teams can make a second-round battle happen.
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