Oilers eager for heavyweight test in Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, front right, shoots as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, front left, and goaltender Cam Talbot defend the net in the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Edmonton Oilers are game for major challenges at this time of year, which is good as they have several of them over the remaining 18 games they have on the schedule.

Three of them, including a Saturday night date at Rogers Place, are coming against the Colorado Avalanche, a Central Division team that's six points ahead of them in the standings — and the club that swept Edmonton in the conference final two years ago en route to a Stanley Cup victory.

Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse says the opportunity that comes with these "big tests" is establishing a rhythm for the post-season by "playing in a situation where emotions are probably heightened a little bit."

Nurse says the Oilers have matured "a lot" since losing to the Avalanche in the 2022 playoffs, "in the sense of no matter what situation the game is, we're not trying to force games, force offence."

"I think that's been a growth point of our season so far this year, and at the same time, just being more and more comfortable in high-pressure, high-intensity situations," Nurse told media following practice on Friday.

"I think that as you play more and more games in those types of situations, you get more and more comfortable with it. I think that's something that our game has come along with."

Oilers star Connor McDavid, too, sees growth in his team's "belief" in themselves in the two years since the playoff defeat at the hands of the Avalanche.

"I think that belief is earned," McDavid said.

"I think we've done a lot of really good things over the course of a couple of years, and we've earned that belief in our group and ourselves that we can play against anybody."

It's not just league heavyweights the Oilers should concern themselves with, however, says head coach Kris Knoblauch, as teams behind them in the standings rise to the occasion when they play star-studded Edmonton.

"I think we're tested every night," Knoblauch said.

"The measuring stick is how you play against other top teams, but I think even teams that are below us in the standings, we always get other teams' best games. We're not the only team around the league that feels that way, but when the opposition comes in and sees McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and the players that we have on our team, very rarely do we get their 'B' performance."

The Avalanche have their share of upper-echelon stars, too, with the likes of league award hardware-winners Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on the roster.

MacKinnon leads the National Hockey League scoring race heading into Saturday's game, nine points ahead of McDavid, the reigning Arts Ross Trophy holder as top points-getter.

For Knoblauch, slowing down MacKinnon is a matter of limiting his opportunities whether through matchups or systems.

"We're not going to shut him down completely," he said.

"He's going to get chances just because he is a really good hockey player, and he'll be able to do that, but as a team, collectively, we have to make sure that we're playing well defensively when he's on the ice."