Oilers wait on next opponent before extensively preparing for Round 2
The Edmonton Oilers are waiting to strategize for Round 2 until their next National Hockey League playoff opponent — either the Vancouver Canucks or the Nashville Predators — is determined, says their head coach.
Kris Knoblauch told media on Friday following practice at Edmonton's Downtown Community Arena that Oilers staff started taking closer looks at both potential next-round opponents — the Canucks lead the first-round series with the Predators series three games to two heading into Friday's Game 6 — before their own playoff-opening round against the Los Angeles Kings.
"We're prepared for both teams ... just because there's so much work to go into a pre-scout," Knoblauch said.
"If we wait until the series is done, there's just not enough time."
The Oilers won their best-of-seven series with the Kings on Wednesday, beating them in five games
The first-year bench boss, who took over duties in mid-November, said, however, he and his coaching staff will wait to prepare players for either the Canucks or Predators until they know who they'll face next.
"There are some tendencies that both teams do," Knoblauch said.
"Their systems are similar in some aspects. We can work on those things — we can say this is what we want to do because no matter who we were playing, this is our goal — but as for showing Vancouver's offensive zone face-offs or Nashville's forecheck or something like that, we'll wait until we know."
Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said there is merit in holding off on taking a deep dive into studying another team.
"There's also an element of not going too far into the game and trying to nitpick every single tendency or nitpick every single thing that can happen in a game, and just go there and play," Nurse told reporters after practice.
"Our team is best when we have a flow to our game and our reading and reacting ... The only thing that we can control right now is how we prepare physically and prepare for our next game."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.