Oilers keeping Game 1 blowout in perspective
Edmonton has its first opening-game series win since 2017, but `tons of work' lies ahead
EDMONTON — It's never as bad as it seems and, unless you are actually hoisting a Stanley Cup, it's never as good as it seems.
It's one of the oldest axioms in hockey, usually spun by teams that are either face down in a toilet or soaring with the eagles.
The Edmonton Oilers, of course, have done both this season, falling to 31st place when their coach got fired and then putting together the second-longest winning streak in NHL history.
In each instance, they were the ones preaching the importance of calm, reminding everyone how fortune can change in a heartbeat.
They know better than anyone not to get carried away with what happened in Game 1 on Monday night at Rogers Place. As warm as the sunshine feels the morning after a rousing 7-4 win over Los Angeles, they know, as well as the Kings know, that this series has yet to author a thesis statement.
“Obviously, we like where we're at right now, but last year we (lost the opener) and went into L.A. 1-1,” said defenceman Mattias Ekholm. “You feel a little better about yourself waking up this morning and being up 1-0, so we'll take that, but we also know that game is in the past.”
Take it from a team that lost five straight Game 1s over two seasons and still played 30 playoff games, advancing to the Western Conference final in 2022, trailing 1-0 in a series is nothing.
“It's definitely nice to win Game 1 and not play from behind, not be chasing it the whole way,” said veteran forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who hadn't been on the winning side of a series opener since 2017 against Anaheim.
“It's been seven years for us now, so it's a good way to start, but there is tons of work left to do, we know that. They don't make anything easy for us on the other side.”
The Oilers lost 9-6 in the series opener to Calgary two years ago, looking every bit as disjointed and overwhelmed as the Kings did Monday, and still wrapped things up in five games.
“We've been in that situation (trailing 1-0) many times and found our way back,” said Nugent-Hopkins.
Still, finally being up 1-0 in a series adds an entirely different vibe to what they've experienced before.
“It's a different vibe in the sense that you have an opportunity to get two at home and a 2-0 lead early in the series rather than coming from behind like we have the past two years,” said Evander Kane. “It allows you to build confidence earlier and carry that momentum into the next game.”
The Oilers look great so far. They scored at will, they got in front of shots, they stayed disciplined, their goaltender stood up to the task, their power play and penalty killing were on point and their best players were on another level.
Three fluke goals by Los Angeles made a pummelling look closer than it was.
But the Oilers also remember how desperate they were in all of those Game 2s, and how it helped them climb back into the series, so they know what's coming on Wednesday night.
Now they'll have to manufacture what will be flowing naturally in Los Angeles.
“They're probably saying, `All we have to do is win one game in Edmonton and we're happy campers going home,'” said Kane. “They get two kicks at the can.”
Yup. That's exactly what the Kings are saying.
“We're down 1-0, but we can easily win and make it 1-1 next game,” said L.A. defenceman Drew Doughty, who believes the Kings have a lot more to give.
“That was probably the poorest we've played against them in the last three years. We're a much better team than that. We have to put it behind us, learn from what we did wrong, fix what we did wrong and bring it into the next game.”
The Oilers certainly look like a team that is going to control its own destiny in this series. Keep playing at the top of their game and there doesn't seem like much the Kings can do to prevent the inevitable.
So, is it really as good as it seems?
We'll see. This is where the maturity and experience the Oilers have amassed over the years comes into play. They know there's a storm coming and how they react might determine which fork in the road this series takes.
“If we were down one game, it would still be the same mentality,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “You keep plugging along. At the end of the day, you have to win four out of seven and that doesn't change no matter how it goes for the first few.
“But it's nice to get that one out of the way.”