Looking ahead for the Edmonton Oilers in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs | Oilers Update

Looking ahead for the Edmonton Oilers in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs | Oilers Update

So obviously Oilers moving on to Vegas now. You mentioned there’s probably a few changes they need to make. Like what would be the number one adjustment you think the Oilers need to make to to beat the Vegas Golden Knights? O, it’s tough because you look at that series and it’s going to come down to the defensive side of the puck for them and how much can they kind of protect Calvin Pickard because you know I tweeted I was like where does Steuart Skinner go next year? because I’m like I can you can maybe go back to him but it’s if I’m Steuart Skinner I’m sitting there like kiss my ass everybody. Um but you know Calvin comes in and he does what he’s he’s been doing for forever and he just provides relief and guys are playing hard in front of him but they’re still letting a lot get there offensively. Like if I think if LA would have stayed aggressive I don’t know how the series goes and I don’t think Vegas is not going to make that mistake. Uh, I don’t think they will. And I think they have kind of a similar team makeup, but they’re just a little bit, you know, their top guys are a little bit younger. So, it’s like not by much, but just a little bit younger. And and I think that Minnesota series, the first two games, I was like, this is going to wear on Vegas. But, they kind of wrestled it back. And and they play like a better version of LA Kings’ system. like they play that zone defense. So they might they’re still going to pressure in the neutral zone in a one-tw2, but when they get into the zone, it’s very that your centerman’s never going below the the the goal. Your sorry, your Dmen are never going above the tops of the circles. They’re not going to chase five men around. They’re going to kind of play tight and wait for their opportunities. So I think it’s going to be again it’s it’s it’s the same old story with the Oilers. How much can the defense and the goalending hold up and and provide enough relief to to kind of let them score their troubles away? And and you look at Edmonton, it’s like most teams, it’s like the race to three. If you like you get three goals scored on you, you’re probably losing. Edmonton doesn’t matter. You can give up three or four and they could still pull the win out because they’re so dynamic offensively. So that’s where for me it’s I’m like you keep it two, three goals, keep it tight. Their power play kind of found something. Uh, so it’s going to be interesting to see against Vegas. I think Vegas is PK’s good and has more of a some offensive threat capabilities where they can kind of score short-handed. And I think they’re, you know, it’s very it’s again I look at it I’m like Vegas that Pacific was so tight and it’s like Vegas is kind of the same levelish of LA. So for Edmonton, I got to be pretty happy coming out of this series being like this is kind of a very similar team. They’ll be faster. They’ll be more physical. Uh and Vegas will kind of just try to outsmart them a little bit. So it’s going to be an interesting series. And you know, Edmonton hasn’t had a ton of success against them. So I’m going to see if they can kind of It’s different because they have so much success against LA and they have the mental edge. I don’t think they have that mental edge against Vegas. So that’s going to be the the the between the ears that’s going to that’s going to happen in the series. So, one thing that was encouraging for me is the fact that the Oilers won these last two games with Connor and Leon not getting a single 5v5 point in either of them. Like the four forward lines for the Oilers, it’s like, man, you can hang your hat on that. That helps. But then you go to the blue line, JD, and it’s like, okay, this patchwork blue line, there are no pairings. Everybody plays with everyone. Darnell Nurse took a shift with every single one of these defenseman last game. Is that sustainable? Do you trust Knoblock or should we trust Knoblocking Coffee? Or do you think this is a blue line that could get picked apart once the competition level just gets raised a little more? You just don’t have any other options though. Like you know what I mean? Like you’re kind of just and I think after game two they figured like we got to like to your point like everybody’s got to play with everybody and we got to play more situational pairings versus just you’re sticking your three pairings and that’s it. And you know, if Matias I don’t I haven’t read much how far out Matias is, but if he comes back in round two, I mean, it’s really going to slot some people in some better positions and Evan will really have Echome with them and then Nursey can kind of play with the the rest of the guys and you can just kind of mix and match. But listen, they they did a good job, you know, after game three. I thought they did a good job and I it’s it’s one of those things I’m I’m I don’t know how to feel because you watch that series and you’re like was it Edmonton that really took over or did LA just mentally like get so that they just kind of like made so many mistakes and and like I’m not I’m not discounting anything the the Oilers did because what they did is is is so impressive on the mental side and them to stick with it and never kind of panic and and you could see the frustration but they stuck with it and you know they got some really good goalending and and you you said it uh the biggest thing with Edmonton is when they get secondary scoring they’re hard to beat because you know Connor and Leon will get their their cookies but on the kind of off game or so like game five is kind of a game where Connor and Leon are held off the score sheet or you know a five on five they kind of should lose that game but their third and fourth line steps up and that’s the big thing with Edmonton if they can keep that rolling I think um you’re going to see some good stuff and I mean look those guys that were injured coming back they’re getting healthy and they’re getting experience every single game you know uh I thought Evander Kane was extremely effective uh Trent Frederick too got better as the series went on and and Connor Brown’s actually just provided some great speed and and um yeah so you you got to like what you see uh I’m I’m interested to just see how this series plays out. It it’s it’s one of those where we all had LA winning and and a lot of people did. Obviously, not Oilers fans, but a lot of people at LA winning. And now it’s like, okay, we all have to reset and be like, they could do this. Like, they could they could get through and and beat Vegas. And, you know, Vegas kind of showed that they’re potentially beatable against a Minnesota Wild team that is kind of a few pieces away from being something special. So yeah, I I listen, it’s it’s my long-winded answer of saying like I’m not saying anything so I look bad again. I’m just going to be like, “Yeah, beat around the bush. I’m just beating around that bush. I’m beat.” No, but I uh listen that you gota you got to give credit to that decor. They did a good job uh late. They still give up a ton of lot of chances and but last game I mean that was a beatdown for a game six where you their season’s on the line. That was a they quit and they still it was 54 but you know I thought Edmonton really handedly took care of them. So what’s up nation citizens? If you like that video then you need to be subscribed to the Oilers Nation YouTube podcast, live shows, exclusive interviews and analysis. everything you need from your favorite voices at Oilers Nation. And you don’t want to miss any of it. So, hammer that subscribe button.

The Edmonton Oilers are onto the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after beating the LA kings for the fourth consecutive season. The Oilers are looking like a team that is heating up at the right time but facing Vegas will be a tough matchup especially without Mattias Ekholm.

Today, Jason Demers joined Tyler and Liam to break down the challange Edmonton faces with Vegas in the second round but reminds Oilers fans that the city of champions has flipped a switch and people are noticing.

What are you expectations going into round two?

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