The Edmonton Oilers are sick and tired of hearing about it. They don91裸聊视频檛 want to be asked anymore about it.
They know full well that the Vancouver Canucks swept the four games between the two teams in the regular season. They also know from experience that regular-season results mean nothing during the playoffs.
Yet, the Oilers can91裸聊视频檛 shake the narrative heading into their Western Conference second-round series against the Canucks, which begins Wednesday in Vancouver.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know how much more we need to talk about this,91裸聊视频� said Leon Draisaitl, who was dominant in the Oilers first-round series win over the Los Angeles Kings. He had 10 points and was also a major part of the penalty-killing unit that didn91裸聊视频檛 allow a goal in five games.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going into Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. We don91裸聊视频檛 care about what happened in the regular season. And I bet you that they don91裸聊视频檛 either, as much as you think. We91裸聊视频檙e a different team now. It91裸聊视频檚 going to be tight-checking, with two really good teams going at it. The team that plays better hockey will win.91裸聊视频�
Draisaitl referred to the fact that three of those Canucks wins over Edmonton 91裸聊视频� including a season-opening 8-1 demolition 91裸聊视频� came very early in the season, when the Oilers were undergoing a crisis that eventually cost former coach Jay Woodcroft his job.
The Oilers started the season 3-9-1 under Woodcroft. After coach Kris Knoblauch took over, the team went 46-18-5.
91裸聊视频淚t is old, for sure,91裸聊视频� Oilers defenceman Vincent Desharnais said of the season-series talk. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been so long. People keep asking about it 91裸聊视频� Those first three games were, like, six or seven months ago. We91裸聊视频檙e a different team. And, at the end of the day, whatever happened in the regular season doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean anything.
91裸聊视频淭he most important part is the first game on Wednesday, the rest doesn91裸聊视频檛 matter.91裸聊视频�
Core players like Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and defenceman Darnell Nurse know the 91裸聊视频渞egular season doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean anything91裸聊视频� mantra all too well. Back in 2020-21, they were on the other side of this discussion, with the Oilers winning seven of nine regular-season games against the Winnipeg Jets, including all six final matchups, only to be swept by the Jets in the first round of the playoffs.
The Canucks-Oilers series is a de facto Canadian NHL championship, as the winner will be the final team standing from north of the border.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 exciting,91裸聊视频� said Draisaitl, comparing it to the Oilers91裸聊视频� playoff series win over the Calgary Flames two seasons ago.
91裸聊视频淭he Battle of Alberta was great, it was a lot of fun to be part of. I91裸聊视频檓 sure this series will write its own story. We91裸聊视频檙e ready.91裸聊视频�
The Oilers will have had a full week off by the time the second round starts on Wednesday, providing extra time for forwards Adam Henrique and Evander Kane to recover from whatever has been keeping them away from the ice. Both players missed Monday91裸聊视频檚 practice, but Knoblauch expects both to be skating Tuesday.
91裸聊视频淲e are hopeful they are available for Game 1,91裸聊视频� said Knoblauch.
If one or both of them can91裸聊视频檛 go, Knoblauch was noncommittal about how he may have to shuffle the lineup. Henrique played the first round as a winger on the top line with McDavid and Zach Hyman, while Kane moved up to the second unit to play with Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
91裸聊视频淲e got a lot of guys who can fill in that spot,91裸聊视频� said Knoblauch of the potential vacancy on McDavid91裸聊视频檚 line. Mattias Janmark played there in practice.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think there91裸聊视频檚 one guy who can play there and do it all, but I think we can maybe do it by committee. Different guys, different situations. We also have the opportunity of Zach Hyman playing left wing, if we need someone else to play right wing.91裸聊视频�
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