BLOG: All content from Thursday's media availability

CALGARY, AB - Wash it away, learn from it and regroup.
The Edmonton Oilers held a hotel media availability on Thursday afternoon following a team meeting earlier in the morning to break down Wednesday night's 9-6 defeat to the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of their second-round Battle of Alberta series at Scotiabank Saddledome.
"You just have to park it no matter if you win 1-0, lose 1-0, win 10-6 or lose 9-6," forward Zach Hyman said. "Whatever the case may be, it's just one game, right? We're down 1-0, we park it, and we go back to the drawing board. We know what we have to do to be successful, we have a blueprint for that success and now we go back and try to get a win in Game 2 and go for a split here."
Watching back the game tape from Game 1 solidified many of the thoughts delivered post-game by Head Coach Jay Woodcroft that the Oilers simply did not have the individual or collective readiness to begin the game, conceding two goals in the opening 51 minutes, before the defensive details of the team let down a six-goal offensive output that on any night should've been good enough to win on the road.
"It confirmed a lot of the things we saw," Woodcroft said. "Bottom line, not good enough for us.
"We scored six even-strength goals and that should be enough to win a game. For us, our checking skills and our defending fundamentals have to really improve. We scored six, but we gave up seven at even-strength."

Woodcroft emphasized further the attention on the defensive lapses of Game 1 after a commitment to doing the right things in their own end over the final months of the regular season was a source of strength since his tenure as head coach began, while even being a big reason the Oilers were able to overturn a 3-2 deficit into a series victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Games 6 and 7 of the first round.
"For us, I really believe we have to get back to defending properly," he said. "That is something that we've hung out hats on for the last three months or so. I think it's what's led to some of our success. We've always held the belief that we feel that we're going to score enough to win games, but for us, our work back to our own end, our detail in our own end certainly is an area of improvement we want to focus on."
After the powerplay went 7-for-19 in the opening series, it was a disappointing 0-for-4 on Wednesday night and symbolic of a disconnect from their best game in Game 1. The penalty kill of the Flames was what they expected, but the lack of sharpness and urgency in the Oilers powerplay did a good job of telling the game's story from Edmonton's perspective.

"I think it was just a symptom of the whole game," Hyman added. "You can look at the powerplay and take away that we got outworked. It's no different than 5-on-5 -- we got outworked, we didn't battle, we weren't physical, we didn't have a sense of urgency, so just a symptom of the whole game.
"Defensive awareness, being physical, being hard to play against. We gave up way too many Grade-A chances early on. Before we could blink, we were down 2-0, so that can't happen in a playoff game in round two. Just numerous things, but you just wash that one away and get ready for the next one."
During his media availability, Woodcroft confirmed that goaltender
Mike Smith would get the opportunity to bounce back in Game 2
as Edmonton's confirmed starter in the crease after the 40-year-old gave up three goals in 10 shots.
"He's been excellent for us," Woodcroft said. "Last night I didn't think our team was anywhere where it needed to be. He didn't play many minutes last night, but he'll be going back in tomorrow."
"Mike is quite clear on the team's faith in him and certainly the coaching staff's as well."
Get all of the day's written and video content below:
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- BLOG: Smith ready to bounce back in Game 2 - - - RELEASE: Oilers recall seven players from Condors