PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Avalanche (Game 2)

The Edmonton Oilers look to rebound against the Avalanche in Game 2 of their Western Conference Final series at Ball Arena in Colorado.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet and CBC or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED.
Video: OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game 2 at COL 06.02.22

YOUR GAME-DAY ESSENTIALS
GAME DAY VIDEO
OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game 2 vs. COL
PRE-GAME RAW | Coach Woodcroft
PRE-GAME RAW | Evander Kane
PRE-GAME RAW | Duncan Keith
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HOTEL: Cody Ceci
HOTEL: Coach Woodcroft
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OILERS TODAY: Post-Game 1 at COL
BY THE NUMBERS
Oilers Statistics
Avalanche Statistics
Stats Comparison
Game Notes
RECENT BLOGS & ARTICLES
BLOG: Familiar Territory
GAME RECAP: Avalanche 8, Oilers 6
FEATURE: Brick By Brick
VIEWING INFORMATION
You can watch Thursday's game on Sportsnet and CBC at 6:00 PM MT.
News and notes from the Oilers media availability in Denver on Wednesday.
**>> READ MORE IN THE INSIDE THE OILERS BLOG**
DENVER, CO -Secure the split.
That will be the motto for the Oilers tonight in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final as they look to even their series against the Avalanche heading back home to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4.
The Oilers will aspire to follow the same pattern as their first two rounds as they dropped Game 1 to both the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames before winning Game 2 and eventually the series in seven and five games, respectively.
In order to do that, the team knows it must be better defensively after the Avalanche put eight goals on the board in the opener en route to a frenetic 8-6 decision.
Colorado's offence is undoubtedly elite, with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog, but Head Coach Jay Woodcroft is confident his crew can make adjustments to decrease the goals against.
"When we review games, sometimes we ask ourselves the question, is it us or is it them?" the bench boss said following Thursday's morning skate. "I think there's a lot in our control that we can be better at and that's where our focus has been."
Video: PRE-RAW | Jay Woodcroft 06.02.22
KEITH'S CONTINUED PRESENCE
A veteran player the Oilers have leaned on for leadership throughout the playoffs has been 38-year-old defenceman Duncan Keith.
As the post-season pressure continues to mount and the games become more meaningful by the day, the wisdom and experience of the three-time Stanley Cup champion and one-time Conn Smythe winner will continue to be assets for Edmonton.
"He's leadership personified," Woodcroft said of the former Chicago Blackhawks star. "He has that quality about him where he's been there, done that… He is somebody who is able to say things to the room and his words carry a lot of weight."
The current Oilers run is Keith's sixth trip to the Western Conference Final but first since 2015 when the Blackhawks won their third Cup in six seasons. Needless to say, he's embracing his return.
Video: PRE-RAW | Duncan Keith 06.02.22
"It's the time of year where you want to be involved and want to play," he said. "It's exciting to be back in this position. We've got a great team and need a big win tonight."
Keith may be no stranger to deep playoff runs, but he noted this is the first one he's been able to share with his son Colton at an age where he can truly appreciate the magnitude.
"My son is nine years old now so he knows exactly what's going on," he said. "It's nice to talk to him about the games and get a feel for what he sees out there. Having him involved makes it special."
LINEUP NOTES
Coach Woodcroft announced following morning skate that Mike Smith will be back between the pipes for Game 2 after giving up six goals on 25 shots on Tuesday before getting replaced by Mikko Koskinen.
The netminder may get credited with the goals allowed, but the Oilers know full well team defence is paramount as they look to bounce back.
"We're very confident in Mike, we're very confident in both goalies," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said on Wednesday. "We didn't do enough to help Mike out early in the game and gave Colorado] way too many really good chances."
"The whole team was less than ideal, so it's tough to say that it was the goalie," Keith echoed. "Giving up two-on-ones, it's tough for any goalie to make those saves. We all look to respond tonight and have a better game than we did last game."
[Video: THE OTHER SIDE | Devon Toews, Andrew Cogliano
Despite the Game 1 result, the 40-year-old puck-stopper still has a .917 save percentage in the playoffs, including a .957 save percentage in the two previous Game 2 matchups.
"I don't think you have the career that he has unless you're able to have a short memory sometimes," Woodcroft said of Smith. "He's a true pro in his approach to the game, the way he treats himself, recovers and resets.
"Someone once told me they compare him to an alley cat. He's a fighter, a scrapper, a clawer. Not somebody who's been gifted everything along the way. He's not a house cat, he's an alley cat. I thought it was a really good analogy and I told that person I was stealing it."
Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse were absent from Thursday's morning skate, so a definitive projected lineup could not be established. However, it did appear that Evander Kane was back on the top line with Connor McDavid.
"They do have chemistry," Woodcroft said of the pair. "One is the best player in the world and one is one of the best power forwards in the world."
In that scenario, Zach Hyman would rejoin Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto on the second line.
-- Ryan Frankson, EdmontonOilers.com
OILERS vs. AVALANCHE
STREAM: 6:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet and CBC
Oilers Team Scope
The Oilers are looking to keep pace with the Avalanche on Thursday night after falling down 1-0 after Game 1 of their Western Conference Final series.
It's not a position the Oilers are unfamiliar with, having dropped the initial game in both of their 2022 playoff series' against the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames.
Edmonton got off to a quick start in Game 1 against the Avalanche, with Evander Kane scoring the first goal of the series and his 13th of the playoffs.
Video: PRE-RAW | Evander Kane 06.02.22
However, the trend in Game 1 was quick-response goals. The Oilers allowed three Avalanche tallies within 2:27 of the Blue & Orange lighting the lamp, with Cale Makar's controversial first-period snipe coming just nine seconds after Zach Hyman's ninth of the post-season.
After coming back from three multi-goal deficits against the Flames, Edmonton almost did it again on Tuesday against Colorado. Trailing 7-3, Edmonton scored three straight goals by Connor McDavid, Derek Ryan, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to bring the game within one. Colorado would seal the deal with a Gabriel Landeskog empty-netter to take the first game of the series.
McDavid continued his torrid post-season pace, recording a goal and two assists in Game 1, while Leon Draisaitl added a pair of assists of his own. The duo leads the NHL playoffs with 29 and 28 points, respectively.
Mike Smith was given a rest midway through the game after allowing six goals on 25 shots, getting replaced by Mikko Koskinen, who stopped 20 of 21 pucks in relief.
Avalanche Team Scope
The Avalanche showed why they were such a Western Conference powerhouse on Tuesday, lighting the lamp a playoff-high eight times in the contest. Colorado's previous best was seven goals in a game this post-season, which they accomplished twice in their opening-round sweep of the Nashville Predators.
The Avalanche were led offensively by defenceman Cale Makar, who notched two assists and the first-period goal which significantly tipped the scales in the Avalanche's favour. The Norris Trophy nominee ripped a shot off the crossbar and in which Oilers Head Coach Jay Woodcroft challenged for offside. The replay would go in the Avalanche's favour and Nazem Kadri scored his sixth of the playoffs on the ensuing powerplay early in the second period. The Kadri tally was the first in a four-goal second period for Colorado.
Video: THE OTHER SIDE | Jared Bednar 06.02.22
Nathan MacKinnon continued his dynamite post-season with a goal and an assist, JT Compher added two goals, Miko Rantanen notched his second of the playoffs, and former Oiler Andrew Cogliano also lit the lamp for the Denver team on the evening.
The one downside on the evening for the Avalanche was the loss of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who departed the game in the second with an upper-body injury. He was replaced by backup Pavel Francouz who turned aside 18 of 21 shots in the win.
By The Numbers
Tuesday's contest is tied for the second-highest scoring Conference Final game with 14 total goals scored by the two teams... Four different goalies were used in Game 1 with three of them allowing three goals or more... Edmonton is 11-12 in the second game of a series when trailing 1-0 after the first game... The Oilers are 2-0 with 11 goals scored in Game 2's in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs... Edmonton is 17-6 all-time in series where they are tied 1-1 and 1-8 when trailing 0-2... Edmonton is 4-3 on the road so far this post-season...Leon Draisaitl currently trails only Wayne Gretzky for the highest points per game average in NHL playoff history with 1.62...
The winner of Game 1 has won the previous two series between the Oilers and Avalanche... The Avalanche average 4.64 goals per game in the playoffs, which is the best total of the post-season, just ahead of the Oilers 4.46 goals per game... Colorado is 15-4 when up 2-0 in a series and 9-11 when tied 1-1 in a series... The Avalanche of been the deadliest team on the powerplay in the playoffs, scoring on 35.5 per cent of their opportunities... Colorado is 8-0 when they old their opponent to three goals or fewer... Mikko Rantanen leads all Finnish-born forward in playoff points per game with 1.20, leading Oilers legend Jari Kurri and his 1.17 mark...
Injury Report
OILERS - Kyle Turris (undisclosed) is on IR; Oscar Klefbom (shoulder) is on IR.
AVALANCHE - Samuel Girard (fractured sternum) is out for the remainder of the playoffs; Ryan Murray (fractured hand) is day-to-day; Darcy Kuemper (upper-body injury) left Game 1 and is day-to-day.
-- Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com