BLOG: Stupendous special teams

EDMONTON, AB -With a 29.5 percent power play (1st in the NHL) and 84.4 penalty kill (2nd), the Oilers achieved a special teams sum of 113.9 during the 2019-20 season.

Edmonton's efforts - whether up a man or down one - were stupendous this year, as the 113.9 mark is the second-best rating in National Hockey League history according to

• with just the 1977-78 New York Islanders' 114.9 total (31.4 PP% and 83.4 PK%) ahead of the Oilers.

"I think a lot of credit is due to the coaching staff," Oilers Captain Connor McDavid said on Thursday.

"Gully (Assistant Coach Glen Gulutzan) runs the power play and Jimmy (Associate Coach Jim Playfair) runs the PK. They've done a good job of coming in and implementing their systems."

As for the man advantage, only the '77-78 Canadiens (31.9%), '77-78 Islanders (31.4%) and '78-79 Isles (31.1) have amounted to a better power-play percentage in League history.

"Gully's been there for two years now, and he's just built off what we had last year," McDavid continued. "Power-play wise, we've had that same power play for two years now and that helps a lot."

Playfair, meanwhile, helped transform a meek 74.8 percent PK from last season into an impressive 84.4 rating in the '19-20 campaign.

"We've had a lot of success on the special teams," McDavid said.