It is a well -rested and impatient group of Edmonton Oilers heading towards the In the NHL The confident Western Conference final that they will repeat their 2024 series against Dallas stars.
“There will be many similar things,” said striker Leon Draisaitl about the meeting of stars of the second consecutive conference final. “They know how we want to play and we know how they want to play. This will be summed up.
“It’s going to be a challenge. They are a good defensive team, many good defensive players.”
Asked about the defense of the Oilers, Draisaitl was a little blown away, assuring journalists that the team is ready to manage the stars of the series that begins in Dallas on Wednesday evening.
Without even mentioning the consecutive laundry victories, the team published by finishing the Golden Knights of Vegas in the second round, Draisaitl said that the Oilers were “very confident” in their defense.
“We have been a very good defensive team for years now,” said the leader of the playoff team. “Are we going to abandon a few goals more than we want from time to time?” Of course, each team does it. It is too difficult to close each team or simply give up one or two goals.
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“We are a good structured defensive team.”
Head coach Kris Knoblauch awarded the well-improved defensive game of the team, despite the absence of Mattis Ekholm and a certain number of list changes, in subtle adjustments and aggressive shots.
“There have been a lot of blocked shots,” said Knoblauch about the team’s laundering victories against the Golden Knights. “And also when you get backups, you forget the mistakes.”
One of the main defenders was the nurse of Darrell who agreed that the oilers had played “really very defensively” in the playoffs.
“But there is always room for improvement when it comes to limiting the chances,” he added. “Obviously, now, with a different opponent, they will present different looks and different challenges.”
Which means, he added, the Oilers will have to continue to raise their defensive game. Or at least keep it “at the same level as we had to finish Vegas”.
One of the main challenges faced by the Oilers, in particular defensively, is the Dallas Mikko Rantanen striker – who directs all the scorers in the playoffs with nine goals and 19 points.
“He is a great player, very dynamic, very dangerous, but not different from many players we met,” said Draisaitl. “We must be aware of him, time and space, everything you do when you prepare for the high -end guys from a team.”
But, a nurse added, the Dallas offensive is much more than the recently acquired Rantanen.
“Obviously, he is a special player, but their team has many other threats from top to bottom of their range. They have a team that can mark throughout their range, so each time you are on the ice, whatever the line you have presented, you have to pay attention to defensively.”
Monday’s cabinet has seen Ekholm participate in its first full training in the team since April 11.
He was excluded for the first two games and Knoblauch said he was “optimistic” that the Swedish could come back at some point in the series.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press