With just 14 games left in the regular season, the Edmonton Oilers are entering a crucial stretch as they prepare for the upcoming playoffs. It is time to look at what they can do to get ready to compete. Over the years, it has seemed like physical play has been very important for a team’s success. The officials do like to let a lot more go, which is why there are not as many penalties called. One thing is for sure: there are definitely plenty of hits in the playoffs and way more than compared to the regular season.
The Oilers must elevate their physical play and aggression to achieve greater success this year. Edmonton’s offence is potent, but when facing more physical teams, they struggle to find space and generate scoring chances. Adopting a tougher style is essential to advancing in the postseason.
Interested in joining our writing or social media team? Apply here.
Never be afraid to lay the body
Canadian hockey always needs one thing, and that is hard hits, physicality, and sometimes fights. There are some players who are not as physical because they are either too small or are just afraid. Yes, physical play can lead to injuries, but it is a very important aspect of the game and is even more beneficial in the playoffs. Hard-hitting hockey is way more entertaining in my opinion, and I think there should be more of it.
In terms of the Edmonton Oilers, their players should never be afraid to lay the body. Some guys are bigger and stronger, and it may be better for them to make the hits and show the physicality, but in one way or another, everyone can play a factor in being a part of that as well. Physical play and aggressiveness can help shift the momentum of a game, and we as fans do not realise the impact it can have in favor of one team or the other, and shift the outcome of a game.
Leadership needs to show initiative and dedication
The leaders on an NHL team play an important role and are typically in charge of a lot on and off the ice. When the leaders of your team are dedicated and show initiative, that is when their teammates look up to them and want to show that same level of dedication as well. Having dedication in the gym is one thing, but when a captain, for example, shows initiative by being involved in a scrum, laying hit, or even fighting, we start to ask where that came from and why they did not participate in that aspect of the game all season. It also shows their teammates that they truly care about the game and are doing everything they can to win.
For the Oilers, Connor McDavid (their captain) decided that it would be more beneficial to his game to start showing more physicality, and this was shown in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games when he competed for Team Canada. There were two hits he made that really stood out, but it seems like, from my eyes, that he wanted to take a little more initiative and be more involved in the game, even when he struggled to score or set up his teammates. When it was hard to do one thing, he turned to another and put effort into that.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
When Edmonton lost to Dallas 7–2 on Thursday, March 12, that game saw a lot of heated and frustrated moments for the Oilers, and we saw Connor McDavid do something that he had never really participated in before.
The hitters need to hit
The Edmonton Oilers have some big hitters who have not hesitated when laying the body at all. They have two players with over 150 hits on the season, and five total, with three who have shown that they do like to hit, just not as much. Vasily Podkolzin, Trent Frederic, Darnell Nurse, Ty Emberson, and Curtis Lazar have all been the heavy hitters for the Oilers this season. Podkolzin has 204 hits (3.04 per game), Frederic has 163 (2.55 per game), Nurse has 96 (1.43 per game), Emberson has 88 (1.47 per game), and Lazar has 77 hits (2.03 per game).
When physicality is already a key piece of your game, I think that it is important for these players to continue that, because when they do not or just decide to stop, it is almost like there is now a hole in your team’s game, and it does not feel the same. These five players need to keep this up, or even increase the amount of hits they make in the playoffs, because it will help bring energy onto the ice, and it really does help motivate their teammates to play with more effort.
Like the wise words of Shoresy say, “A massive part of the success of Canada and US hockey on the international stage has been the hitting. The physicality. The guarantee that if you play us, we will hurt you.” When you watch NHL playoff hockey, this statement correlates right on par with what we seem to consistently see. Right now, physicality and aggressiveness will be a big part of the Edmonton Oilers’ success, and I believe that it should be a key component of their game moving forward.
