Oilers say late-season battles served them well
Edmonton got top competition from Ducks, Sharks and Kings down stretch
The biggest concern about the Edmonton Oilers as they head into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years is, of course, that they are heading into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
When almost half of your lineup hasn’t played a single National Hockey League post-season game, that lack of experience can be a real issue.
The stakes, the pressure, the atmosphere, all of it takes some getting used to, and by the time newcomers get used to it, the series could be over.
That’s why having to battle for first place in the Pacific Division down the stretch drive in intense head-to-head games with the Anaheim Ducks, the San Jose Sharks and even the out-of-the-playoffs Los Angeles Kings might be the best thing the Oilers could have asked for.
“I don’t think you can ever fully replicate what the playoffs are like, but those games have been as close as you can get,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who can’t imagine the first round being any more pressure-packed or hard-hitting than their overtime win over Anaheim in Game 78. “I keep saying I’ve never been in the playoffs, I don’t know what it’s like, but that’s what I envision it being like.
“Playing L.A., San Jose, we’ve been getting those tough games down the stretch that I think we’ll see in the playoffs.”
The Oilers stood up to those games very well, so maybe the playoffs won’t be this splash of cold water in the face that sometimes overwhelms first timers.
Head coach Todd McLellan, who’s been deep in the playoffs both with Detroit and San Jose, loves that the Oilers were forced to dig in and fight for every point in the last three weeks of the season. His team needed a taste of what the Stanley Cup tournament is like, and they got it.
“I think (the stretch) is the same (as the playoffs) because we played teams that have been very desperate to get in or have been jockeying for position,” he said. “The playoffs do ramp up a little bit, but there’s a tendency for the excitement to ramp up outside the locker-room. The media gets a little more intense, the fans get more into it, but the team goes from Game 82 to Game 83 preparing in a similar fashion.
“The competition does get tougher, there’s no doubt about it, as some of the weaker teams fall out. It gets tougher every night. Then you have the series of adjustments throughout the series. That might be the biggest thing for our group, to experience that.”
Seeing McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and pretty much the entire team, playing their best hockey of the season when the games were toughest and the points were most important is a very encouraging sign for the coach.
“(McDavid) will be gung-ho, he’ll have his team ready,” said McLellan. “And he’ll be excited about playing.
“It’s encouraging when your leader does that because everyone else picks up their socks as well. It’s almost expected of him. It’s not a surprise, it’s not a holy-wow, look what’s happening moment for our organization.
“He’s been that good. He’s elevated his game and everyone else is following.”
Veteran Milan Lucic has seen enough of the Oilers under fire to believe that the intensity of the post-season will not be a problem. He, like the coach, thinks Xs and Os, making changes on the fly to gain an edge as a series goes on, will be the biggest challenge.
“It’s about focusing on adjustments, in-game adjustments, not being frustrated and playing hard right to the end to give yourself a chance to win,” said Lucic. “But we’ve had that feel with a lot of one-goal games down the stretch and us having to battle back.”
That’s why having to battle for every point down the stretch was so important. There’s no substitute for the playoffs, but what the Oilers just went through should have them as ready as they’ll ever be.
“You can’t turn the switch off and then turn it back on,” said Lucic, whose only advice for the playoff rookies is to seize the day. “It’s going to be hard, it’s going to physical, but you have to embrace it, you must have fun with it, you have to look forward to it.
“Bring your game and play your best when it matters the most. Just enjoy the moment.”