EDMONTON — It’s a strange personality trait that the Edmonton Oilers have developed, as the mighty Colorado Avalanche arrive in town for a Saturday night track meet between two of hockey’s fastest teams.
It makes great sports radio fodder — infuriating to fans, and no doubt frustrating for the coaches — and goes something like this:
When you’ve played the second most playoff games over the past five years (behind only Florida), those journeys prove to a team that it has what it takes to win it matters most. They’re confident, experienced, and though imperfect, a pretty good team that rolled through the West in 16 games last spring.
The question is, where does all that experience go when they start up again in the fall?
As Colorado arrives for a Hockey Night in Canada must-watch on Saturday, we don’t have to spell out the recipe to playing sound hockey or protecting a third-period lead to a team that’s been in back to back Stanley Cup Finals.
Yet, every October and November the Oilers are like a guy looking for his favorite tuque and gloves on that first snow day, rummaging through the back closet in search of that staple of their game that’s gone missing — again.
“We’re 15 games in,” said captain Connor McDavid. “The start is long, long over. We’re into the meat of the season now.
“We know what we’re doing. We’ve got to get back to it. It’s time to go.”
This Nov. 7 the Oilers have a 6-5-4 record for 16 points. In the previous four seasons they have accrued 13, 5, 14 and 18 points by Nov. 7.
So this is actually a pretty good start in Edmonton.
“Probably the best start since I’ve been here, jokingly enough,” said Mattias Ekholm. “There’s no panic. We know what we have in the room.”
It’s actually Edmonton’s second best start in five season, but somehow it doesn’t feel like there is anything to celebrate.
“So far in the season, it’s been a pretty common theme where we can put 20, 30, maybe 40 minutes in some games,” Ekholm said. “But I’m not sure I’ve seen 60 yet.”
Coming off of two days away from the ice on Wednesday and Thursday, Edmonton held a lengthy, fast-paced and spirited practice on Friday in preparation for a visit from the only NHL team with just one regulation loss, the 8-1-5 Avalanche.
After blowing two-goals leads in each of their past two games — and a team record six on the season in their first 15 games — McDavid was asked when that might become something to talk about with his team.
“I guess when you’ve done it six times,” McDavid said flatly. “It’s a fair question, and something that we want to figure out. We’ve done a good job of putting ourselves in some pretty good spots, and haven’t found a way to close them out. That’s an area we’ve got to clean up.
“A little bit more desperate, a little more urgency to win games,” McDavid added. “We’re putting ourselves in good spots — we’re not closing them out. That’s a thing we’re normally pretty good at.”
Normally. There’s that word again.
Normally an Oilers team that led St. Louis 2-0 for much of the game finds the third goal to put an opponent away.
Normally, an Oilers team that stretched its lead to 3-1 at Dallas with 12 minutes to play can put the hammer down on the two points, cash an empty netter and walk away with a regulation win.
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Now the Avalanche roll into town, equally rested after not having played since beating Tampa 3-2 in Denver on Tuesday night.
You don’t have to squint too hard to see the possibility of a Western Conference Final between these two teams, and this is the first of three meetings this season.
“A great challenge for us, something that’s got our attention. We’re excited to go,” McDavid said of the Avs.
Stuart Skinner starts in net, with Mattias Janmark a “possibility” to return from injury for the game, according to head coach Kris Knoblauch. Zach Hyman is expected back “within a week,” but won’t play against the Avs.
The beauty of a game like this?
Edmonton has no choice but to dig up their May game, or the Avalanche will embarrass them on home ice.
“If there’s one thing I know about this group, whether we have our backs against the wall or (whatever), when we’re playing really good teams, that brings the best out of us,” Ekholm said. “I’m excited for that type of game — Hockey Night in Canada, all the things you can ask for.
“It’s going to be a good measuring stick for us as well. We know they’ve had a good start to the season, but usually we have really good games against them.”
