The Oilers have won five games in a row despite the absence of Leon Draisaitl, receiving depth scoring from all four lines and showing an improved game defensively that’s been helped by new additions Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson.
They've been able to maintain the offensive output despite losing Draisaitl for the rest of the regular season to injury, with players taking on elevated roles and feeling good as the postseason gets closer with only seven games left to lock down a playoff spot and a division title in the process.
"You always want to finish first and get that home-ice advantage," Kapanen said. "I think that's huge, especially for the playoffs. It's very important, so every single game right now counts, and we just have to keep it up right now."
Over the eight games without Draisaitl, Connor McDavid (6G, 6A) and Evan Bouchard (1G, 9A) have been equally as dominant, while names like Zach Hyman (3G, 3A), Matt Savoie (4G, 1A) and Jack Roslovic (3G, 2A) have stepped up admirably to fill the necessary minutes.
Adam Henrique was the latest to get in on the offence after opening the scoring on a breakaway against the Blackhawks – the third straight game Edmonton's fourth line was able to score the first goal.
Savoie scored for a fourth time in five games with a power-play marker, and Tristan Jarry made 17 saves in a follow-up to Connor Ingram's 27-save shutout the previous Tuesday against the Kraken for another strong effort between the pipes from Oilers' goaltending.
"Certain guys have been stepping up," Kapanen said. "Obviously, we're missing Leo, and nobody's going to fill his shoes. But just kind of as a collective effort, everybody's been doing a great job, so we just have to keep it up."
