Pieces in place for an Oilers resurgence

Edmonton is ‘putting other teams on their heels’ like last season, says Talbot

Here come the Oilers. Finally.

After spinning their wheels for the first two months of the season, the Edmonton Oilers finally have some traction.

Whether they have given the rest of the Western Conference too big of a head start is a question that will be answered over the next 48 games, but they definitely look like they are capable of making a serious charge.

After winning just seven of their first 21 games, the Oilers have won eight of their last 13 and have been robbed of a couple more in that that stretch.

What happened?

Cam Talbot is uniquely qualified to analyze the recent transformation, having left a team that was a bit of a mess and returned after seven games with an injury to a team playing its best hockey of the season.

“I feel like they’re playing so much faster with the puck and without the puck,” said Talbot. “Everyone is always moving, making outlet passes, supporting the puck wherever it is on the ice and that allows us to get those transition goals that we were so good at last year.”

Talbot believes the Oilers had become too regimented in their game, so worried about being in position that they forgot how to

relax and just play hockey. And the more they lost, the tighter they got.

“We were trying to play almost too positionally,” he said. “We just had to play more without instincts, relax a little bit. We were overthinking things, which took that extra second and allowed them to get on top of us.

“Now we’re creating odd-man rushes like we used to and putting other teams on their heels.”

Patrick Maroon talks all the time about the Oilers finding their swagger. Well, they’re starting to show a little bit of it right now. You don’t pull an opponent’s beard in the third period of a one-goal, mustwin game unless you’re feeling good about things.

“I think we’ve been gaining confidence the last six games,” he said.

“We have been playing really good. Every line is going now. Every line is chipping in at the right time and it is so good to see at this time of year. All four lines are buzzing. We have some good chemistry right now.”

So are the Oilers starting to feel like they felt last season, when they knew they could come back, they knew they could close out games and they knew that their best was as good or better than anyone they stepped on the ice with?

Adam Larsson, who has also noticed a change in the Oilers upon returning to the lineup after missing eight games with a back injury, says they are definitely feeling something.

“It’s hard to say, but we have a lot of key pieces back,” he said.