Oilers show why they are favourites to win the Stanley Cup this season
Photo credit: Imagn Imges
Though it was only the second game of the young season, in a dominant win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday the Oilers demonstrated the style of play that will take them deep into the postseason for another run.
Getting a goal from Edmonton's free agent signing Mangiapane, another from its top-scorer Draisaitl, and the third from one of the team's depth-guys, the 3-1 victory against Vancouver on Saturday was a complete game that could have seen another four goals from the Oilers, if not for Demko.
Oilers move past from Stanley Cup Final's loss
«We've moved on from the previous season and playoffs, whatever happened,» said head coach Kris Knoblauch. «Obviously there's still disappointment, but guys had done it once before. (There is) no more feeling sorry for ourselves. Let's get to work. The attitude right from Day 1 has been upbeat, energetic.»
The evidence was on full display Saturday, with the Oilers dominating the game for a good fifty of the sixty minutes of regulation time, where they allowed just 15 Canucks' shots on goalie Calvin Pickard.
The Oilers' top-rated defense was quite evident in the game, shutting down the team's top players and keeping rushes to the outside, helping Calvin Pickard to get the win.
«We were the better team,» declared Draisaitl, who scored his 2nd goal of the campaign in as many games. «We played really well. We had our legs. All four lines were going and there were different guys chipping in.
«We're going to be a hard team to beat when we consistently find a way to play like that.»
«We're going to be a hard team to beat when we consistently find a way to play like that.»
Indeed, when the Oilers fly around the ice at will, get top-level defense from its blueliners, and a o defensive showing from its bottom-6, not to mention good goaltending, they're virtually impossible to beat.
«We've got to help ourselves out a little bit more compared to the last two years,» said Draisaitl. «You can build a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence within your group if you get off to a good start. You see it with a lot of teams, they get off to a really good start, then they just kind of carry it the rest of the way."
Edmonton heads out on a five-game Eastern road-trip today and will play only one of its next eight games on home ice.
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