Connor McDavid<\/a> said. \u201cSo you want to be healthy on Day 1, and we’re getting closer and closer to that.\u201d<\/p>\nDraisaitl is such a big part of this team\u2019s DNA, and everyone knows it. He\u2019s the power play triggerman, jumps on to McDavid\u2019s wing when the situation calls for it, and come playoff time he produces right alongside No. 97, with 119 playoff points in the last five years to McDavid\u2019s 132.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a leader that players here have been following for some time now, especially come playoff time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has an ability to raise his game to a whole other level,\u201d McDavid said. \u201cWe see that time and time again in the playoffs, a guy who battles through anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how the Oilers should set up in Game 1:<\/p>\n
Savoie-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Kapanen
RNH-Dickinson-Roslovic
Dach-Henrique-Frederic<\/p>\n
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Murphy
Walman-Emberson<\/p>\n
If you could encapsulate the Oilers\u2019 advantage in experience over Anaheim in one paragraph, McDavid provided it when he was asked how much wiser he is today than on the eve of his first ever playoff run back in 2017:<\/p>\n
\u201cJust knowing what to expect. Knowing what it’s going to feel like \u2014\u00a0the environment, the game, the pressures, the momentum swings,\u201d he said. \u201cPlayoffs is really a different game. It really is, and you have to understand all of that. This group has been through plenty of runs, played in plenty of big games and tomorrow’s no different. It’s a big game: Game 1 at home. A great opportunity to get off to a good start.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut with that being said, we\u2019ve got a big challenge in front of us: a really good, young, skilled, exciting, Ducks team that we\u2019ve got to play hard. That we\u2019ve got to be ready for, and we will be.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Anaheim makes the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, the Oilers have played 79 playoff games in the past five springs \u2014\u00a0with neither McDavid nor Draisaitl having missed any of them. That duo is one-two in playoff scoring over that span, but of course, there\u2019s one goal left to be accomplished: Winning a Stanley Cup.<\/p>\n
Is there anything different about this team, as the journey begins, than any of the previous ones?<\/p>\n
\u201cOne extra year of experience, that always helps,\u201d Draisaitl figured. \u201cBut at the end of the day, when the puck drops, both teams are going to go at it, both teams are going to try and establish their game. Every series, every game, every playoff run writes its own story and plays out differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earned the right to pillow fight<\/p>\n
Yes, the Pacific was \u201ca pillow fight,\u201d as McDavid dubbed it a little over a month ago. And, yes, the Oilers only had 93 points this season after four years of eclipsing the 100-point mark.<\/p>\n
But as the playoffs open, all of that and about $20 bucks will get you a beer at Rogers Place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve earned the opportunity to be in this position. Pacific Division or not, we’re here,\u201d McDavid declared on Sunday. \u201cWe’re in the playoffs, and we have an opportunity to play a Game 1 (Monday), and I know this group is excited for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe regular season has become a little bit monotonous for this group, and I think you see that through the day to day. But this is what we get excited for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Head coach Kris Knoblauch has had to remain patient as his team stumbled and bumbled through most of the season. He gets it, but it will be nice now to have everyone\u2019s full focus and attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a long season for any team in the NHL, but it’s even longer when you\u2019ve played as long as you have the last two years. To the end of June, and then a couple months (of rest), and you’re back at it again,\u201d Knoblauch said. \u201cI think everyone’s excited, ready for this. It’s been on their mind for a while.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we’ve got another level.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So if we can\u2019t have a doctor\u2019s clearance, a hockey writer\u2019s eye will have to do. After consecutive…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556584,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5125],"tags":[198,146,5300,5,4,24],"class_list":{"0":"post-556583","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edmonton-oilers","8":"tag-edmonton","9":"tag-edmonton-oilers","10":"tag-edmontonoilers","11":"tag-hockey","12":"tag-nhl","13":"tag-oilers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116436051552992145","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}