Schedule blips mess with Oilers' rhythm in the stretch

NHL players are creatures of habit. At this point in a season, most players are ingrained in the routine of playing roughly every other day.

Yet, the Edmonton Oilers will go five days between games and perhaps even longer if their contest against the Vancouver Canucks is postponed on Friday.

The COVID -19 pandemic has played havoc on the NHL schedule this season, and while the Oilers have been fortunate to avoid an outbreak, they have been affected when scheduled games against the Montreal Canadiens and Canucks changed.

“It's not ideal, we know that, we knew it was going to happen eventually this season,” said Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl. “I think (schedule changes) hit our team pretty bad, especially since we've been so good and haven't really had any cases or anything like that. You just hope the NHL down the road in this last little stretch is going to help us out a little bit.”

The stops and starts have disrupted the Oilers' rhythm heading down the stretch of the season. If the game in Vancouver does take place, they'll return from a six-day layoff to play four games in six days.

“It's been a rhythm throughout the entire season, so a couple of days off is obviously nice to reset and regroup a little bit and get some practice time in a little bit,” Draisaitl said. “At the same time, I think we're all excited to get back into it and close out the season.”

The Oilers have 14 games left in their schedule and barring a complete collapse, will qualify for the NHL playoffs proper for only the second time since 2006.

With nearly a full week off, the Oilers had a chance to work on their game heading into a busy period, starting Friday against the Canucks.

“The practice days have been good, the couple of days of rest has been good, but that being said, you have to deal with what's in front of you,” said Oilers head coach Dave Tippett. “We play four games in six days and then we have a few more days off again. You try to maximize what you're doing, whether it's game day or practice day. And players, I think they're in a rhythm where they're practising every day.”