Edmonton Oilers training camp 2015
Posted 2:24 AM ET | Comments 0
After four preseason games and four wins, things are looking good so far. When your team has been out of the playoffs for so long, it's great to have some optimism and results to follow. Whats been shown so far is resilience and competitive play even when behind in games. Part of this can be contributed to players gaining more experience, but mostly it's the infusion of different skill sets into the lineup. rnrnFor so many years the oilers lineup has been filled with talented players but ones who played the game the same way. You always hear about lack of age and experience but what has made the biggest change is acquiring or drafting players who do the little things well that help you win hockey games. In particular, players like Lander, Draisaitl, korpikoski, and Hendricks. Of course, players named mcdavid, hall and nugent-Hopkins will be the ones carrying the team towards the playoffs. However it'll be the role players that will help support those players.rnrnLineups aren't set in stone but it seems like coach McClellan is looking at icing a balanced lineup. And I don't mean a pat Quinn like lineup with jf Jacques on the top line. Having players who make the right play at the right time instead of trying to deke around an entire team, has made a world of difference. This creates a trickle down effect to the whole lineup even to our most talented players. Gone are the days of trying to thread a pass through a defender in hopes of a beautiful play. Instead they are keeping it simple and getting the puck to the net where goals are scored.rnrnWe will see how this team fares against NHL lineups but I like their chances now more so than any other year since 2006. I would say that we have a solid team that can at least compete with most of the western conference. Which is more than I could say about our past teams. rnrnrnrnrn