According to Liam McCormick of Oilers Daily, Mattias Ekholm is a one of the Oilers most important veteran leaders, and today in practice, he admitted a hard truth about the team's slow start this year.
Ekholm pointed to the fact that team often have the «Stanley Cup Final Hangover» effect. Whether it's a shortened offseason or the change of intensity from playoffs to regular season, teams that go deep in the playoffs often have a slower start to the year. Ekholm directly said that he didn't expect to the Oilers to be as good as where they left off.
The Edmonton Oilers are considered as fan favourites to win the Stanley Cup this season after making it all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. Although Ekholm admits that he wasn't expecting a Stanley Cup calibre performance so easily in the season, he still remains confident the team will get things back on track.
The Oilers will have days before their next game, when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, before a three game road trip sees them stop in Columbus, Nashville and Calgary.
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