The song the Edmonton Oilers played in their dressing room right after winning the first round of the playoffs at the Los Angeles Kings, at a decent volume: “Hotel California” der Eagles, which contains this unforgettable line of text, according to which one can already check out of this hotel and thus state on the Pacific, but will never be able to leave this place. There could not have been a better song for the celebration, which included drinks called beer, but which are in fact diluted water.
The mood was less partying and much more lightly toasting and high-fiving; one was really tempted to look for all the rocks that must have dropped off the hearts of the Oilers players. They had been immensely afraid that they, without a doubt currently the team in the best form in the North American ice hockey league NHL, could actually fail against this poisonous, bilious opponent and end this season in the Hotel California, trapped in a quasi-eternal, never-fulfilled dream – where they but in view of their excellent performance, they finally believe that they can become champions for the first time in 33 years. The Oilers passed this difficult test, which gave amateur psychologists enough evidence that they are finally solid enough for the big triumph.
They were 0:3 behind in the fourth game, in the best-of-seven series it was 2:1 for the Kings. The Oilers came back because of their stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who jointly scored ten goals and provided eleven assists in six games. They didn’t get nervous when LA leveled game six near the end because goalkeeper Stuart Skinner’s racquet broke – and the heroes of the last two victories weren’t McDavid or Draisaitl, but players who mattered after the first few games had said that now please do their part: Evander Kane, Kailer Yamamoto, Zack Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
“Serene, Confident, ULTRA Disciplined”: That’s how their coach wanted the Oilers to be seen, and that’s how they played
“It’s very interesting what’s happening in the playoffs, you can see it in almost every series,” said Draisaitl in the dressing room, refraining from the diluted canned water: “You know it’s going to go up and down, that you should stay calm. You prepare for it. Even so, at that moment it’s incredibly difficult to master. The spectators are there, it’s getting loud, you’re thinking about everything. And suddenly there’s hardly any time left on the clock. ” One should never be too happy or too depressed; the three words Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft scribbled on the chalkboard: “Calm, confident, ULTRA-disciplined.” That’s what they were in the first round, so they’re through, while title favorites Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are already out — leaving the door wide open for the Oilers.
“Anyone who masters the mood swings in a straight line will be successful,” said Draisaitl and named two lessons from the first round: “You don’t win anything with three players. But we showed that we have some guys who can score important goals. And , but we’ve known that since the start of the season: we score a lot of goals, we’re a fast team. When we find our game, we’re hard to stop.”
They found their game in the series against LA, and that’s why the lyric from “Hotel California” took on another meaning for the Oilers: They checked out of that first round of the playoffs – but they stayed in California for now, stayed in LA and trained at the Kings Hall. Why fly home to Canada when your next opponent is just a 40-minute flight away?
It’s Wednesday now against the Vegas Golden Knights, who also believe they’re ready for the title after the playoff disappointments of the past few years. The 4-1 series against the Winnipeg Jets was nothing more than warming up, but that is exactly what is dangerous, as every NHL pro explains like a mantra: You can only take psychological elements with you, playfully and tactically it starts from scratch. And then it’s up to seven times against a team that you eventually know inside and out.
The Knights are the opposite of the Oilers: they wait, they lurk, and then they strike
The tactically interesting thing this time: The Golden Knights are almost the opposite of the Oilers. The Oilers are technically gifted, insanely fast; always looking for the next goal. The Knights, on the other hand, are notorious for stoically deflecting attacks and patiently waiting for chance – and coldly taking it. It should be a treat for anyone interested in the tactical aspects of the sport: how this series will play out, how the coaches will react (against LA, Woodcroft let Draisaitl and McDavid out together; against Vegas, they should be in the be separated again in the first games, except in the case of a majority); who will get along better with which game and series status.
“Very deep squad, a lot of good players – very loud arena,” said Draisaitl, who didn’t even feel like praising the strengths of the next opponent, preferring to say: “We’re also an unpleasant squad.”
The Oilers will be shuttled between Las Vegas and Edmonton in the coming days, with games one and two and potential games five and seven taking place at the arena just off the Strip. If the Oilers win this series away from home again, it should get very noisy in the locker room again. Maybe there will be better beer, and of course a different song. Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” for example.