Oilers' big guns `are not going away'
Ex-Edmonton coach Hitchcock expects more greatness from McDavid, Draisaitl in Game 4
Ken Hitchcock saw the future in a dynamic young duo. And he didn't have to look far.
The former Edmonton Oilers head coach guided Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl during the 2018-19 NHL season. At age 21, McDavid piled up 41 goals and 116 points. Draisaitl, then 22, had 50 goals and 105 points.
Hitchcock called McDavid fearless and reckless.
Six years later, the Hockey Hall of Fame inductee still searches for adjectives to assess the impact that McDavid and Draisaitl continue to have on the Oilers and the game.
The league's latest version of Batman and Robin have a superlative skill set to generate offence and force the opposition to maintain discipline to slow the two-headed monster.
They combined for 238 points (73165) in the regular season — including McDavid hitting the century mark in assists — and have 35 points (9-26) in eight playoff games.
Which brings us to Tuesday and a pivotal point in the second-round playoff series.
The Vancouver Canucks can put a dagger in the Stanley Cup aspirations of the City of Champions because a 3-1 deficit might be too much for McDavid and Draisaitl to overcome.
“The (Oilers') top guys are playing so well and they're not going to drop off,” Hitchcock predicted Monday from his summer home in Kelowna. “They know how much this means and they're going to keep pushing the envelope. Sooner or later, one of these teams is going to crack a bit.
“Connor and Leon and that core group of guys are not going away.”
It's why McDavid and Draisaitl are drawing parallels to duos who dominated when it mattered most. Think Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri or Brett Hull and Adam Oates.
“I coached against Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, and like Connor and Leon, they were so dominant that you couldn't help but be dragged along by the wake.”
And yet, the Oilers are in danger and the opportunistic Canucks can smell blood. It will take a herculean effort in Game 4, and another stellar show by rookie stopper Arturs Silovs, to put the Oilers on the brink of elimination.
“Everything is magnified in the playoffs,” added Hitchcock, who guided the Dallas Stars to a Cup title in 1999. “Right now, emotion on a positive side is with Vancouver. The Canucks are playing out of character, which is what you have to do to win.
“It's a second- and third-effort sport and they're giving themselves a chance. Edmonton is trying the same thing and it's at a crossroads of which one is going to work. It has the makings of a long series.
“And role players are going to be a factor, I can tell you that.”
Hitchcock believes the Canucks have an advantage behind the bench in Jack Adams Award favourite Rick Tocchet. Hitchcock, who won the Jack Adams in 2012 with the St. Louis Blues, coached against and has long admired the ability of Tocchet.
He exacts maximum efforts with a firm-but-fair approach while adopting a crucial partnership with players.
“I knew he was going to make a good coach and knowing what he's like when it's playoffs,” said Hitchcock. “He's at another level. His directness and no-nonsense approach is very refreshing. He knows what it takes. He's not using big words. He's very direct.”
Which beckons the question. How do you coach greatness? McDavid does stuff you can't teach because it's based on skill, instinct and a willingness. Is it a partnership?
“That's right on the mark,” said Hitchcock. “It's the only way that works with top players. You don't know how much weight they're carrying. They're much more demanding of themselves than you could ever be. You have to take the pressure off them and not add to it.
“You're not going anywhere if there isn't a firm partnership with your leaders and the coach.”
Hitchcock also believes McDavid's awareness away from the arena gives him better life balance to excel on the ice and contribute off of it.
“The thing that really impressed me about Connor was his feel for the world outside of hockey and it's very good,” stressed Hitchcock. “He has a conscience and is very intellectual.
"His hockey IQ is off the charts and mature beyond his years with an awareness of what's going on in the community and what's needed in charity and sincerity. Things that really matter.
“He has strong beliefs and I really respect him for that.”
That's all fine and good. But what about beating Silovs on Tuesday? The Latvian reminds Hitchcock of having Steve Mason as his young and unflappable stopper in Columbus.
“He carried the day,” Hitchcock recalled. “He inspired people to get out of their comfort zones. And that's what you're seeing with Silovs. Players are doing things that they don't normally or naturally do.
"They don't want to let the goalie down.”