The Edmonton Oilers Looked Like A Playoff Team In A Win Over The Tampa Bay Lightning
from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,
It is one thing to play the Tampa Bay Lightning hard, outshoot them 30-23, and walk away after a 5-3 loss with your head held high. Nice try, played well, and all that rot.
It is quite another, however, to outplay the two-time Stanley Cup champs for most of 60 minutes and walk away with a commanding 4-1 win, as the Edmonton Oilers did on a raucous Saturday night at a nearly sold-out Rogers Place.
Look, when it comes to the National Hockey League playoffs, it's less about where you finish, and more about how you are playing when the tournament begins. We can’t all be the Calgary Flames — winning every night and miles ahead of everyone in first place, their game an impeccable product that reeks of pending playoff success.
Edmonton is fighting for a spot. But with a new coach, and players beginning to return from injury, you’ve got to admit: they’re game is trending in a direction that will give them a chance when we start playing for real.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last three and a half weeks or so on rounding out our five-on-five game — specifically defensively. We haven’t given up a lot,” said head coach Jay Woodcroft, whose Oilers outshot Tampa 49-32 and never trailed Saturday. “That’s a positive sign for our team, because I think as you work your way down the stretch run and into playoff rounds it comes down to your five-on-five game.”
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Watch the game highlights below....
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