“They’re really solid. They have depth. They have depth scoring. They roll four lines. They’re a solid, deep defensive team like they have been in years past. It’s their identity and they’re going to stick to it. It works for them. They make it challenging on you”
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It’s go time.
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The Edmonton Oilers spent 10 long months waiting for tonight’s puck drop.
After losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last June and waking up every morning wishing they had another chance, that chance is finally here.
The playoffs, the only thing that matters to them, are here.
“We’ve waited all year to get back to this moment,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who knows it’s going to be a wicked first hurdle against the deep and determined Los Angeles Kings.
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“They’re really solid. They have depth. They have depth scoring. They roll four lines. They’re a solid, deep defensive team like they have been in years past. It’s their identity and they’re going to stick to it. It works for them. They make it challenging on you.”
Edmonton holds a 3-0 edge heading into the fourth-straight first-round series with the Kings, including a five-game wrap last year, but there is a distinctly different vibe this time around. Instead of being the favourites, the Oilers are opening on the road against a team that finished ahead of them in the standings and won the regular season series 3-1.
It’s a coin toss at best.
“Last year doesn’t mean anything,” said McDavid. “It’s a new year, a new round, a new series. Last year doesn’t mean anything. It’s a great experience to lean on but we have to be ready for a really, really good L.A. team and we’re excited for the challenge.”
Rocket Richard Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl, who sat out 11 of Edmonton’s last 14 games to rest and recover from whatever it was that had been ailing him, says anyone who has doubts about the Oilers because of their injuries hasn’t been watching the Oilers.
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He thinks they are actually stronger for all the adversity they faced down the stretch.
“Very confident,” he said of their chances. “We just had another 100 point season with a lot of injuries to deal with. We hung in there, different guys stepping up, which is a great sign. We’re very confident in our group, we know what we have.
“We’re in every game no matter who’s in the lineup, who’s out of the lineup. We’re capable of winning hockey games with what we have. We’re capable of beating really good hockey teams without Connor, without (Mattias Ekholm), without me. Whoever it is, we’re capable of winning hockey games.”
There isn’t a more battle-tested team in the Western Conference than the Oilers, who’ve won 29 playoff games over the last three seasons, and that definitely counts for something when the bullets start flying and the doubts try creeping in.
“It’s nice to have the experience of having been there and having gone all the way, understanding the highs and lows, the ups and downs of a playoff run,” said Draisaitl.
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“But all of that is pushed aside if you don’t bring your best game. That’s our goal, bring our A game, force our game onto them and hopefully that will be enough.
“They’re a good team, they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t. It’s always a fight, it’s always tight-checking hockey. We’re ready for that. We’re ready to go.”
E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com
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