Oilers’ Regular Season Mentality Needs to Change – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are in tough against the Anaheim Ducks, trailing 2-1 in their first-round series. They have not looked good, and they are making too many mistakes. It’s the playoffs, but the Oilers are playing like they did in November.

“We still feel like our best hockey is in front of us, and we’re going to peak at the right time here in a couple of weeks,” Connor McDavid said after defeating the San Jose Sharks on April 8. Well, McDavid, we’re still waiting. Through three playoff games, the Oilers continue to bleed chances, and they have zero defensive structure.

Their lackadaisical play from the regular season carried over into the playoffs, and they are getting exactly what they deserve. They lacked preparation in the regular season, and they have looked unprepared in the playoffs. They act like they are too good for the regular season, and that mentality needs to change.

Oilers Don’t Put Enough Emphasis on the Regular Season

The Oilers haven’t won their division since 1987, the longest active drought in all four North American professional sports. That’s due to the lack of effort they put into the regular season. Consistency is a major issue because you never know which team will show up.

“Just putting the X beside our name is the main thing. Just getting in, that’s our main focus. Where we’re seeded, I’m not too concerned about it. We can start a series on the road; we can start a series at home. We’re pretty comfortable either way. We just have to get in,” McDavid stated, following their season-high fifth straight win against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 2.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch also chimed in about winning the division. “I don’t know if it’s absolutely necessary. It would be nice to finish first and put a banner up next fall, but this team responds well,” he stated following that April win against the Blackhawks.

This isn’t the right mindset for this team, and it’s finally catching up to them. Winning the division should’ve been the priority, considering how weak the Pacific Division was this season. They can’t expect to sleepwalk through the regular season and flip the switch for the playoffs. This was an underwhelming season for Edmonton, and that has carried over into the postseason, deservedly so.

The best teams in the league take the regular season seriously. The Colorado Avalanche were the best team in the league and are on the verge of sweeping their first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. The Carolina Hurricanes have also swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round after winning the Metropolitan Division with 113 points. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild had outstanding regular seasons, and they are both playing great in their first-round series, which could go either way.

Point being, if the Oilers want to be taken seriously, they need to have a better regular season. Strong play can carry over into the playoffs, and elite teams have proven it. Those teams have consistent effort every game, while the Oilers are a step behind. The Oilers are a good team, so there’s no excuse for their regular-season results not being better.

Oilers Don’t Celebrate Enough During the Regular Season

The Oilers act like the regular season is a chore and that the playoffs are guaranteed, but that’s not the case. In a weak division, they didn’t clinch a playoff spot until they had only two games remaining. They took that for granted, and they could’ve easily missed the postseason. It’s okay to take the regular season seriously while still celebrating your accomplishments. This organization went 10 years, from 2007 to 2017, without playoff hockey, so enjoy the moments, because you never know when they will be gone.

I’ve never seen a team celebrate less than the Oilers. When the top players score, they don’t show much emotion. They act like it’s no big deal and that scoring is always expected. While it is expected, their body language shows that they don’t care, because it’s “just the regular season.” It’s a long season, so have some fun and celebrate your success. If the top guys celebrate, that should rub off on the rest of the team, increasing morale.

The Oilers need to turn things around and fast. Can they “flick the switch” like they’ve said they would throughout the season? So far, their actions haven’t matched their words.

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