Lucic knows he has to be better 5-on-5
Whether Milan Lucic wears a visor this coming National Hockey League season for the first time or not, he can clearly see what he has to work on: producing offence at even strength, not just on the power play.
Of the Edmonton Oilers winger’s 23 goals last season, only 11 came in 5-on-5 play over 82 games, a switch from his days in Boston and Los Angeles, where he was a handful even strength. Of his 50 points, 25 came with the man advantage, too. And in the playoffs, it didn’t change. He scored two goals, both on the power play, and three of his six points in the Edmonton Oilers’ 13-game post-season run came on it.
So while he provided lots of shade in front of opposing goalies and tipped lots of shots home on the NHL’s top five power play, you’re graded more realistically on how you do at even strength.
That was a sore spot with him last season.
“The 5-on-5 play has always been the strongest part of my game and I really have to improve on that this year,” said Lucic, who had 159 career goals and only 22 on the power play coming into last season but saw that stat line change drastically.
Same story in the playoffs. He had 26 career goals and only three on the power play before joining the Oilers.
“I just can’t be so reliant on goals and points on the power play,” he said, after a workout on Wednesday at Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena.
Maybe that’s why he was on the Oilers’ No. 2 line and not with Connor McDavid as the season wore on, with Patrick Maroon getting the nod there instead — of Maroon’s 27 goals, just three were on the power play.
And now about that visor for Lucic, something he may don this year: he has long been one of the holdouts, mainly because he’s tasked with protecting his teammates by fighting every now and then, and wearing a visor is anathema for fighters. Lucic hasn’t had any major scares with a puck or stick to his eye, either.
But Lucic had a visor on when skating with several Oilers Wednesday morning, maybe a test run for regular-season play.
“It’s mandatory for everybody coming into our league,” he said. “I have tried it before when I’ve broken my nose a couple of times. Didn’t bother me too much.”
“If you look at every team around the league, I don’t know if there’s 40 guys who go without a visor. It’s not like when I first came into the league and if you didn’t wear a visor it was a sense of toughness and you’d be willing to fight. Now, it’s maybe smart to try it out.”
Lucic spent the off-season at his house by the beach in Los Angeles with one pit stop in his hometown Vancouver for a 10-year reunion of the junior Giants 2007 Memorial Cup champs, and another sojourn to Hawaii for a wedding. The Vancouver get-together was a highlight for Lucic, who fed off that season after being a second-round draft pick in 2006 by the Boston Bruins.
Lucic is aware the Oilers will have a large target on their back to go with the logo on the front of the jersey, but senses a changed psyche.
“There’s a different energy and mindset coming into this season and last season,” he said. “There’s more of a chip on our shoulders to get back to where we left off.”
ON THE BENCH: Former Oilers captain Andrew Ference will be doing some commentary for Sportsnet this season, not on a panel but on between periods topics … Defencemen Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom arrived in Edmonton from Sweden on Tuesday and were on the ice Wednesday. “I don’t feel too bad but for waking up at 4 in the morning,” said Larsson.