The Edmonton Oilers are heading into an important Game 3 versus the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. If the Oilers win, they go up 2-1 in the series and steal home-ice advantage back. If they lose, they put themselves in a tricky situation, needing to win Game 4 to avoid digging a hole potentially too deep to climb out of. That said, climbing out of holes isn’t new for this particular roster.
All one has to do is look back at the way the 2023-24 season started for the Oilers to realize this is a resilient team. A terrible start led to coach Jay Woodcroft being fired and many wondering if Edmonton had dashed their playoff hopes early. But, they weathered the storm and as Connor McDavid told the roster in an emotional locker room speech, “brought themselves back from the fu–ing dead.”
It’s that kind of confidence and faith that exemplifies what this team is all about and why losing Game 2 is nothing more than a hiccup.
What McDavid Told His Teammates
Oilers+ released episode 33 of Oil Drop and in that episode, they show a clip of McDavid addressing the dressing room. He stood up and addressed his teammates, saying:
“If this year has taught us anything, it’s that when we stick together like brothers and we work together and we stick with it, we can fu–ing do anything. Alright, we brought ourselves back from the fu–ing dead this year and it’s a credit to everybody in this room.”
It was a leader talking about the adversity his team had gone through and reminding them that they can accomplish great things when they play their game, stick together, and believe in their ability. One game and one overtime loss isn’t going to define them in these playoffs and fans should expect if a similar speech is said before Game 3 on Friday, the Oilers will come out on a mission.
Makes Sense the Oilers Are Sticking With the Same Lineup
On Friday, Bob Stauffer tweeted that the Oilers were running the same lines at practice as they did in Games 1 and 2. A less-than-stellar performance on Wednesday didn’t warrant panicking, nor did it tell the new coach that it was time to switch things up. In fact, Kris Knoblauch isn’t doing what previous coaches have done, nor what he’s done from time to time, and move McDavid onto the same line as Leon Draisaitl. That’s the easy fix and Knoblauch is resisting temptation to pull the trigger on that move to start a game.
This is a confident group. They believe in themselves and that they can come out and play better in Game 3 than they did in Game 2. Stuart Skinner is getting another start, the defensive pairs aren’t being altered despite giving up odd-man opportunities, and the offensive lines aren’t being juggled. This group isn’t panicking until it’s absolutely time to. Even then, the Oilers may have more belief in themselves to fight back than any other team in the NHL this season.
Count the Oilers Out at Your Own Peril
It’s easy to get down after a loss and look for people to blame. Pointing fingers is the quick response but it’s not the solution. Anyone suggesting a loss to the Kings in Edmonton is a reason to write the Oilers off is jumping the gun. If nothing else, fans should know the Oilers have an incredible amount of confidence in their roster. If that doesn’t calm the nerves, what else will?
Frankly, a loss might have been what this team needed to remind themselves that losing sucks. A kick in the pants can turn out to be the thing that bonds this team together again.
