BLOG: Oilers head to the road to find their game

EDMONTON, AB -As the Oilers try to find their game in the early part of the season, Head Coach Jay Woodcroft thinks the upcoming three-game road trip is exactly what the team needs.
"It's our first road trip. I think it's time for our team to get on the road, to spend some time together, to be put in some adverse situations in tough buildings," Woodcroft said. "We're going to see what we're made of here."
"We've been at home for six games, so it's time to get on the road a little bit, to be with each other," Derek Ryan agreed about the upcoming trip. "Obviously starting with six games at home against pretty hard teams isn't exactly ideal. So, it's time to get on the road and find our game a little bit out there."
The Oilers are coming off a moderately successful homestand where they depart the city of Edmonton with an even 3-3 record. There is a lot to like about the Oilers game so far: the powerplay still looks elite, they showed they are never out of a hockey game, and they have received contributions from throughout their lineup.
When the Oilers game is clicking on all cylinders, not many teams can keep up with them as evidenced by the barnburner against the Hurricanes and the franchise record 26-shot second period against the Penguins last night.

Despite the glimpses of excellence, the team has yet to play what Woodcroft describes as a 'full 60-minutes' and it has held them back from really reaching their true potential early in the season. However, while the Oilers work through their early season lapses, the club's head coach will still take the wins as they come.
"I think any time you get the result, you feel good and your process feels validated," Woodcroft said. "We're putting our focus on and doing things the right way and we think if you do that, more often than not over time, the results take care of themselves."
"I thought there were a lot of really good things, a lot of positive signs in that game yesterday," Woodcroft added. "I don't think it was a full 60 yet. I don't think we're at that point yet. We're still a work in progress."
The expectation is the Oilers use this upcoming three-game stretch against St. Louis, Chicago, and Calgary to get their game in order. One key area that has been identified by the players as a place for improvement is getting their legs going the moment the puck is dropped. Too often Edmonton has found themselves chasing the play in the season's early moments and it's an area of their game they know they can remedy.
"I think we have all the skill in the world, but if we're not going to work then we're not going to be a very good team," Ryan McLeod said. "I think in the second, third period we kind of started to work and then turned the game around."

"The main thing is just skating. I felt like the big difference between us in the second and third period, compared to other games and other periods is that we are skating," the veteran Ryan agreed. "We're connected group, working as five, and skating together. When we're doing that, I think we're a pretty tough team to handle. We spend a lot of time in the offensive zone, a lot of time handling pucks, and it kind of frustrates the other team."
The Oilers will first look to get their legs going on Wednesday night with a rematch against a team that was able to muddy the track at Rogers Place just a few nights ago in the St. Louis Blues. The Blues held Edmonton to a season-low 23 shots-on-goal enroute to the 2-0 shutout victory. The players in the locker room know they cannot afford a slow start at Enterprise Center if they hope to avoid the same fate.
"They do a good job in their own zone. They're a good breakout team. They make a lot of quick share passes, and if you're not on top of your guy offensively on the forecheck, then they're getting out," Ryan said. "That's always really frustrating as a forward if you're just dumping it in and all of a sudden, they're breaking back out and going back down your throat. So, I think a big thing is establishing your forecheck, being above your guys and not letting them make those quick share passes and get out of the zone."