During Sunday’s practice, the Oilers put the onus on each other to bring a little bit more to the table, challenging one another to be that much better by channelling some of that frustration from their 9-1 loss to the Avalanche into positive action for when they face off against the Blue Jackets on Monday.
“I think everybody as a whole wants to be better, myself included,” McDavid said. “Everybody has more to bring. So you start seeing some of that in practice, and it’s got to translate into games. It’s normal to have conversations with guys about different things we’re seeing out there. The game has felt at times unorganized and out of sync, so you only figure that stuff out through talking and communicating with your teammates.”
Moving on quickly with a win on Monday will be paramount for the Oilers, who depart on a season-long seven-game (13-day) Eastern road trip on Tuesday and will take on some tough opponents that include the Florida Panthers on Oct. 27 in a rematch of the 2024 & 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.
“We have to put that behind us, and that road trip is going to be a grind,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It doesn’t get much harder than that, playing those quality teams and the amount of travel and the amount of games that we’re playing, and it makes it a lot nicer to have a win going out on the road.
“But also, just playing the right way. The process is very important. It’s not just the results. You need wins to make the playoffs and move up the standings, but right now the focus is on doing things the right way.”
