BLOG: Oilers ready to match Kings' intensity and desperation in Game 6

EDMONTON, AB - When push comes to shove on Saturday night, expect to see both sides put it all on the line.
"The urgency on both sides is going to be high," winger Kailer Yamamoto said. "For us, we've got to bring a level that's higher than theirs."
The Oilers held a team meeting and optional skate on Friday morning at Rogers Place before departing to Los Angeles later in the afternoon with the goal of putting it all together in Game 6 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night to eliminate the Kings from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Edmonton put in its best effort of the series to this point back on Tuesday night in Game 5 by earning a 6-3 victory on home ice to ultimately take a 3-2 series back to Los Angeles with the opportunity to close out the series on the road.
Internally, the Oilers know they'll have control of their own destiny and conclude Game 6 with a favourable result if they're able to continue to take care of their own business by focusing on improving their efforts with every passing game, just as they have over the course of the 82-egular-season and five playoff games so far this season.
"I think where our focus lies is on making sure that we bring our best game of the series," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said after practice. "Here in game number six, we understand what the challenge is, we understand where we're playing the game, we understand the strengths of the other team, but in the end, we think if we bring our best game, we're a tough team to beat."

But with their backs against the wall, don't expect the Black & White to go quietly.
"Obviously, they're going to have a huge push. You expect them to have the best game of the series so far, so for us, we've got to match that same intensity and the same push on our end," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "It's important to go in there with a focus on just worrying about one game and taking care of what we can take care of tomorrow, so that's the singular focus for us."
This exact elimination scenario is not new to the two sides considering their meeting in the playoffs last year, except the roles have been reversed.
The Oilers were in tough facing elimination before a character performance in Game 6 awarded them the chance to win the series on home ice -- a challenge they completed with a 2-0 shutout victory in Game 7. This time around, the Oilers can put an end to their first-round matchup with the Kings on Saturday night if they're able to carry that same level of desperation from last year's come-from-behind series victory into an opportunity to clinch on the road in Game 6.

"I know they're going to be a desperate hockey club," Yamamoto said. "Just playing in a game like that last year with a lot of pressure, a lot of nerves and stuff like that went into it, but also a lot of adrenaline. I know they're going to be pushing tomorrow."
Beyond last season's experience against Los Angeles, the Oilers don't have to look too far back to know what kind of intensity the Kings will bring in Game 6.
It was just two games ago when the Kings jumped out to a three-goal advantage after the first period of Game 6, leading to Jack Campbell getting the chance to make 27 saves in relief of Stuart Skinner and backstop the Oilers to a 5-4 comeback victory in overtime after Zach Hyman scored his first of the series in sudden death.

"They're going to bring their push," Nurse added. "It's the playoffs and that's elimination games; the urgency, like we were talking about a little bit earlier, it goes up, so you don't want to be on the back foot from the start of the game."
Rest assured, the Oilers are confident they'll be ready from the opening faceoff to match Los Angeles' desperation and urgency.
"It's crucial," Foegele said. "Tomorrow is a great opportunity for us, and we know what we need to do. We need to have a good start. I think we know they're going to be a desperate hockey team.
"I think it's going to be two competitive teams playing really hard and desperate and it should be a good game."