Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

My father often says, "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." And, indeed, he's usually right about this.
Some might say that close doesn't count in the Stanley Cup: you win it or you don't. However, I contend that the Oilers' closeness to the Stanley Cup actually does count for something. The Oilers didn't win Game 7 but over the past weeks, they gave us some of the best hockey we've seen in years. They inspired a city to be proud of itself. They showed the league that small market Canadian teams are powerful entities that define what hockey means in this nation. And, above all, they showed what class is by refusing to dishonour other nations' anthems. Finally, they showed all of us that you can't discount anyone. The Oilers barely made the play-offs and people wrote them off at the beginning of their first few series. My father also says, "it isn't over til it's over" and the Oilers proved that over and over again. In terms of horseshoes and hand grenades, my father is a flexible man and I think he'd agree with me that sometimes close does actually count for something. In the case of the Oilers, close counts, at least for this fan. You all but won the Cup and that's more than we could have imagined six months ago. Thanks for some amazing hockey Oilers! You remain my good and virtous Oilers. And, besides, I've watched this team enough over the years to know hell hath no fury like the Oilers scorned. Y'all better watch out next year...