EDMONTON, AB - For newly-acquired Oilers forward James Neal, the rigours of the Stanley Cup Playoffs caught up to him.
Two-straight trips to the NHL's biggest dance in the Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights were felt in a disappointing year by the 31-year-old's standards in 2018-19 with the Calgary Flames.
"You don't want to make excuses about your season. Obviously it was a tough year for me," Neal, speaking with Bob Stauffer and Oilers Now on 630CHED, said Monday.
"Realistically, when you go to the Stanley Cup Finals and do everything you can to try and win a Stanley Cup, it's a huge grind and takes a lot out of you mentally and physically. Then to do it back-to-back seasons, it wears on you. It's even harder when you lose."
BLOG: Neal enjoying extended rest, training time this off-season
"I got the chance to get back into the gym and start skating early doing all the stuff that I could control to be ready for the new season," forward James Neal said
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