My Favorite Oiler

This is my all time fave Oiler. 

Today, people don't mention this dude when talking up greatest ever defencemen, but for me Paul Coffey in his Oiler days was something else. 

He could skate faster than anyone I've ever seen in my life, buzzing around the rink like an angry hornet. They say his defence wasn't much to write home about, but like Bobby Orr(who I'm totally convinced is the greatest player to ever lace up skates) who needs to defend when the puck is usually on your stick?

I remember going to games at Northlands as a kid and watching the opposition, who more often than most were fucking terrified of being slaughtered. By the end of the first period. They'd have this weird look about them, like they knew they were in for an ass kicking, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. 

Even Oiler penalties were fun to watch. it was more like "which one of them is going to score a shorthanded goal tonight?" than worrying about letting in goals.  Four on four back then was the way teams had to play for 2 minutes when concurrent penalties to both sides were called. It was almost like a 5 on 3 powerplay for the Oilers. I don't really know who the opposition would put out, but I remember seeing Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, and Coffey...

They were so good at humiliating the rest of the NHL during 4 on 4's that a major rule had to be changed - making it so the teams could both stay at even strength. Only one other team I know of was so good that a rule like that was changed and that's the 1950's Montreal Canadiens. 

I'm glad Paul Coffey went to Mario's Penguins, and won another cup there. Oilers at least didn't get robbed in the trade that brought Craig Simpson, but how many more cups were left in the original big 5 Oilers, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Gretzky, and Coffey - who started being broken up the day this guy went East?