Oilers looking for another extended run following NHL All-Star break
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It was around this time last season that the Oilers were able to turn the tide after acquiring forward Evander Kane and replacing Dave Tippett as head coach with Jay Woodcroft.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, left, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid celebrate after Edmonton beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in an NHL game in Vancouver on January 21, 2023. Photo by Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press Content of the article
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping history will repeat itself, to some degree, once they return from the bye week and NHL All-Star break.
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It was around this time last season that the Oilers were able to turn things around after acquiring forward Evander Kane and replacing Dave Tippett as head coach with Jay Woodcroft.
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The Oilers started a run from February that saw them finish second in the Pacific Division standings and set the stage for a lengthy playoff series.
“I think we’re building something here for sure, we’re starting to play more like we want for 60 minutes consistently,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said before the break. “Now we have a little break to recharge the mind and the body, but we have to remember this feeling to incorporate it into the break.”
The Oilers return Feb. 7, traveling to face the Detroit Red Wings in the first of a four-game road trip. The Oilers will also face the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens before returning home to host the Red Wings on Feb. 15.
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A year ago, Kane played his first game with the Oilers on Jan. 29, and Woodcroft came on board on Feb. 10. The Oilers went on a 26-9-3 run with Woodcroft to solidify a playoff berth, then defeated the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames in the first two rounds before losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals. of the Western Conference.
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“Every year is different, but at the same time it was a similar time,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “We fought through some things last year and we did this year as well.
“We had a lot of games this year where we were up and we kind of let the teams come back to it – we started losing a few relatives and we kind of talked within our group and wanted to change some things and I think we’ve done a much better job lately.
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The return to play of four teams that are out of playoff contention should help the Oilers gain ground coming back from the break. The Red Wings, Flyers, Senators and Canadiens are all in different stages of rebuilding.
Of the 11 games the Oilers have played in February, four are against playoff contenders, giving them an opportunity to continue the 7-0-1 streak they mounted before the break.
“I think every NHL team can beat any other NHL team and I think we see that,” Woodcroft said. “We dropped Columbus a point in overtime – they’re not a first-place team, but they played us hard. They’re teams that have people who can hurt you. Chicago played us hard, and they played us hard. can hurt you. I think they were 7-3 going into the game against us (Saturday).
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“There are no gimme puts in the National Hockey League, you have to bring it daily, and the only thing we can control is taking care of the business of the day. We don’t control the schedule, we don’t control who the opponent is and where the game is played. We can only control our level of effort and execution and I think our guys did a good job of that.
Over the previous three weeks, the Oilers took care of business, except for the overtime loss at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Oilers had struggled with consistency up to that point, but managed to find their game internally.
“I think it was our attention to detail defensively, and I think our goalie was excellent,” Woodcroft said. “Jack (Campbell) should feel really good about his game. And I think our penalty kill has been really good.
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“At the end of the day it comes down to the level of execution of our players and the willingness to play the game the right way. We feel we were scoring enough goals to win, we just had to take care of the other side of the puck. I don’t think we’re there yet, but we’re making progress and starting to get healthy again.
After struggling early in the season and losing his starting job to rookie Stuart Skinner, Campbell appears to have found his game. Skinner, meanwhile, has been a rock all season and has been rewarded with being named to his first NHL All-Star weekend, where he will join Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The Oilers have been getting solid contributions throughout the lineup as of late. Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman also have career years and could have easily been named All-Stars as well.
“Personally, I just try to play my game as much as possible,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I want to keep improving here and I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team.
“We have been playing well lately. We haven’t given in too much to the push from the other teams, we’re sort of pushing back. Every team is going to push and you need to find a way to fight the adversity and not make it too easy for them and I think we did a better job and need to keep going after the break.
Email: [email protected]
On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest
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