Oilers expect to be hunted down by rest of the conference

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Finnegan Frost
October 12, 2024 (10:08 PM)

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Reigning conference champs expecting best from opponents, host Blackhawks after lopsided loss to the Winnipeg Jets in season opener.

The Edmonton Oilers came within one win of the NHL summit last season and are expected to ascend to similar heights again.

As Western Conference champions who lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers will be the hunted this season, with opponents clearly amped when they're on the bingo card.

Such was the case when the Winnipeg Jets rolled into Edmonton and put up a convincing 6-0 victory at Rogers Place on Wednesday.

"To be honest, you have to earn it every night," Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner said after giving up five goals on 13 shots. "You guys (media) have been talking as well that we're going to face the best of every single team, so Winnipeg wasn't going to come out here and hope that it's going to be a skilled night. They worked, and we have to compete at the same level and even more."

Though the Oilers were unable to rise to the opening night challenge, coach Kris Knoblauch said teams gearing up to face them should prove to be a good thing, particularly when the goal is to win the Stanley Cup.

"I think it's great, I think it's good competition for us and if we're seeing everybody's best it's only going to bring out the best in us," Knoblauch said. "It's just going to help us down the long run. It'll make it a little more difficult each night to win games and move up the standings, but overall, it'll make us a better team and we want to be a better team by the end of the season."

"I think if I'm not mistaken, it was kind of similar last year too, we were media darlings to make it to the Final," forward Zach Hyman said. "We had a tough start, and I think we can learn from that. When you have success, other teams are prepared. When you have two of the best players in the world, the best player and the second-best player, nobody is coming in here, tippy toeing around. They know we have a good team, and we have to be prepared because everybody is a good team in this league."

"Maybe you guys (media) haven't had those expectations or that bar set as high for us, but that's been the bar we've set in here for the last number of years," McDavid said. "Just because the fans or the media think now the bar is set high, we've always set it high for ourselves. It's always the way it's been for his group. Even when we were a bad team, we've always expected more out of each other and ourselves and this year is no different."

Edmonton's captain understands his team will be the hunted this year but is not overly concerned about it based on comments with the media recently.

"We worry about ourselves first and foremost," McDavid said. "If we play our game, we know that we're a good team and that's all we can really focus on, being our best, doing the things that we do. We can't really worry about what other teams are thinking about and what they're up to, it's about us in here and getting to our game."

As long as McDavid and Draisaitl are in the lineup, the Oilers will be considered a formidable favorite in the Western Conference.

Source: NHL.com
Oilers know they're the hunted under weight of heavy expectations