The Edmonton Oilers head right into a recreation in opposition to their provincial rivals with an opportunity to shut in on NHL historical past.
The Oilers shall be going for his or her thirteenth win in a row after they go to the Calgary Flames on Saturday night time. The NHL report is 17 consecutive wins.
It’s OK if you happen to can’t instantly recall who holds that mark, as a result of Oilers defenceman Vincent Desharnais doesn’t know, both.
“I don’t know, I don’t need to know, I don’t actually care,” he stated after Friday’s observe at Rogers Place.
That might be the Pittsburgh Penguins, who went on a 17-game heater by way of March and April of 1993.
In entrance of the cameras, Desharnais and his teammates inform reporters that they actually aren’t paying any consideration to the report books. However the present 12-game mark is tied with the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens for the longest profitable streak by a Canadian staff.
Leon Draisaitl, who had a power-play aim and three assists in Thursday’s 4-2 win over Seattle, stated the final time he’s ever performed on a staff that’s been this scorching was again in Germany. And, as a result of he was a child on the time, he’s undecided if it counts.
“In Germany, we’d lose 4 video games all yr,” Draisaitl stated with a smile. “However that’s probably not similar to the NHL. There’s nothing fairly like this one. It’s particular, it’s an incredible feeling, however tomorrow we’ve obtained to stand up and there’s a brand new problem forward of us. It’s an enormous one. Groups are coming for us now. We all know that. We’re conscious of that, so we’ve obtained to deliver our recreation each night time.”
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By means of the primary two months of the season, it will be arduous to think about that the Oilers may have managed such a streak. On Nov. 12, with the staff at 3-9-1, head coach Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson, who coached the defensive corps, had been fired. They had been changed by rookie head coach Kris Knoblauch, whereas Corridor of Fame defenceman Paul Coffey took over from Manson.
Since Knoblauch took over, the Oilers are 22-6-0. That they had an eight-game profitable streak earlier than the present 12-gamer. Knoblauch was teaching the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate initially of the season. Now, he could also be in competition for NHL coach of the yr.
After the win over the Kraken, Knoblauch was requested what he would say at the start of November if somebody had advised him that is how the following few months of his life would unfold.
“(I’d say) they had been loopy that I’d be getting the chance mid-season as it’s,” stated Knoblauch. “All the things after that might be absolute nonsense. However simply that first half, of me being a head coach, mid-season, on this scenario, and with the ability to come to a corporation like this, is simply unfathomable.”
Underneath Knoblauch, the Oilers are displaying they don’t want to attain 5 targets a recreation with a view to achieve success. Connor McDavid and Draisaitl aren’t operating away with the scoring race, as was the case final season. The ability-play isn’t tops within the league. However in every of their final 10 wins, they’ve surrendered two targets or fewer.
At no time within the McDavid Period, has this staff performed higher hockey — regardless that the captain isn’t dominating the race for the Artwork Ross Trophy.
And so they’ve been profitable with resiliency. The Oilers have surrendered the primary aim in every of their final 5 video games. In Tuesday’s win over Toronto and Thursday’s victory over Seattle, they went down 2-0.
In some unspecified time in the future, this staff will look again at this streak and savour it. Simply not now.
“I believe it’s one thing we’ll respect on the finish,” stated Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse. “Whenever you’re in it, you’ve simply obtained to fret in regards to the subsequent recreation or the following second. The explanation we’re within the place we’re in and we’ve put collectively these wins is that we’re not wanting on the previous, we’re wanting on the future and caring for the moments.”
“Proper now, you simply attempt to proceed to get higher and proceed the way in which we’ve been enjoying,” added Draisaitl. “And, perhaps, we’ll assume again after the yr or every time. That’s when you will have time to replicate. Proper now, we’re within the second.”
After dealing with Calgary, the Oilers are residence to Columbus (Tuesday), Chicago (Thursday) and Nashville (subsequent Saturday). In the event that they win these, the record-tying seventeenth recreation could be in opposition to the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 6. Sport 18 could be Feb. 9 in Anaheim.
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