WOODCROFT WANTS HIS OILERS TOUGH, BUT ALSO DISCIPLINED
It’s not going to get 1980s ugly between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames — those days are gone for good.
But there is going to be a mean, hard edge to the first Battle of Alberta in 31 years.
How mean and how hard remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if this series gets dragged into the alley a few times.
And, if that happens, is it advantage Calgary?
Man for man, skill for skill, the two teams match up pretty evenly. If the Flames have an edge, it’s in their ability to make life miserable for their opponents.
They are one of the toughest clubs in the NHL with the likes of Milan Lucic, Brett Ritchie, Erik Gudbranson and Nikita Zadorov on staff and, with an agitator like Matthew Tkachuk setting fires, the Flames can be a real menace when they want to be.
“I know, having watched the film between Dallas and Calgary, there were a lot of post-whistle scrums,” said Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.
“That might be their tactic, and they can focus on whatever they want, but we want to play whistle to whistle.”
Woodcroft says the message to his team is simple — play hard, don’t back down and don’t get drawn into any extracurricular distractions.
“We were one of the lowerpenalized teams in the league through the regular season. We put a lot of emphasis on just playing the game whistle to whistle,” he said.
“That’s where our intensity and emotion will show up.”
That’s the fine line the Oilers will have to walk in this series.
There is a difference between being strong and standing up for your teammates and being drawn into an arena that better suits your opponent.
“Collectively, as a team, we’ve stood up for each other,” said Zack Kassian. “I got hit in Columbus (earlier in the season) and Connor McDavid went over to the guy and defended me. It’s a team toughness, it’s a pack mentality.”
Speaking of McDavid, and the hobbling Leon Draisaitl, they might as well be wearing bull’seyes instead of Oilers logos on their sweaters when it begins.
The best way to beat Edmonton is by neutralizing its superstars, so expect Calgary to be leaning on them and tormenting them at every turn. It’s just smart hockey and good strategy.
How the Oilers respond will be interesting.
“If you look at any series, the good players are targeted,” said Kassian. “I wouldn’t say it’s dirty by any means, although sometimes it gets out of hand, but they’re targeted.
“It’s one of those things where you have to fight through it. Connor is a big, strong, tough guy. They’re going to have to push through, but as a group we can respond physically and do the same thing to them that they’re trying to do to us.
“Ultimately it comes down to a team effort and a will and a competitive edge. You respond with a physical shift, but we can’t be marching to the penalty box.”
With a few more penalties being called, at least in the early stages of a series, it’s not likely to be prison rules out there. Officials will want to keep things from getting out of hand by establishing some ground rules, so Oilers winger Zach Hyman doubts it will descend into chaos.
“This year, the refs have set a standard for things that happen after the whistle,” said Hyman.
“I think it’s tighter than it has been in years past. We’ll see if that changes in Round 2. But as long as it’s consistent, you can get a feel for where that line is early on.”
Not to paint the Oilers as innocent victims and choir boys. They did have one player suspended last round for head-butting and another fined for a pretty nasty cross check, after all.
They’ve been taking the body hard themselves and certainly plan on putting as many licks on Calgary as possible.
“You have to finish your checks,” said Kassian. “We’re going in with the mindset that this is going to be a long series, so those bumps and bruises pay dividends later in the games.
“But you can’t be retaliating and marching to the penalty box. They have a good power play. You have to be hard between the whistles.”
The penalty box could certainly play a key role in who gets a better start in this series. Edmonton’s power play went 36.8 per cent in eliminating the Los Angeles Kings and absolutely shredded Calgary during the regular season, going 7-for-15.
There might be no better way to put a leash on Calgary’s big dogs than by capitalizing with the man advantage early on.
“Power play has been a form of toughness here in Edmonton for a long time,” said Woodcroft. “We feel really good with both units that we can put on the ice.”
“It could be a deciding factor,” added Kassian. “We’re expecting them to be close games. There are going to penalties, that’s just the way hockey is. Your special teams have to be good, they just have to continue doing what they did against L.A.”