Oilers embrace playoff fever in Edmonton: ‘Excitement is high’

EDMONTON – Mattias Ekholm got off the plane and headed to the field.

After the long drive from Florida to Edmonton — including a stop for fuel — the Oilers defenseman went to watch his son’s soccer game Wednesday night.

“He runs up to me and he says, ‘Dad, my teammate wants to meet you,'” Ekholm said. “We embrace it and it’s just fun. People love hockey here.”

Such is life when the city team is still playing, as spring turns to summer.

Edmonton rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers with back-to-back wins to force a Game 6 on Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday in South Florida.

The Alberta capital — one of the NHL’s outposts with rabid support similar to what the NFL’s Green Bay Packers are experiencing away from the spotlight in Wisconsin — is awash in orange and blue.

Office workers come out on their lunch break wearing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl jerseys. Businesses have placards plastered over their windows as a sign of solidarity.

“It’s just amazing for the city,” Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner said. “People are having a lot of fun, just having fun.”

The Edmonton born and bred product also tries to stay out of the public eye, away from the rink as much as possible.

“I’m letting my wife do the shopping right now and she’s been wonderful,” Skinner said with a smile. “It’s really hard to go into a situation like this and to be able to embrace this moment that you’ve worked so hard for is really all you can do.”

Veteran forward Corey Perry played against the Oilers in the 2017 postseason and was in town again during the COVID-19 pandemic when it hosted one of the NHL’s bubbles, but he has a different perspective on this side.

“Pretty incredible to see,” he said. “Coming into the playoffs (as a visitor), you don’t know because you’re not from here, you don’t really pay attention. You’re just here to play a game of hockey.

“But you really see what’s going on around town here now.”

Perry, who has spent most of his career in warmer US markets, said the atmosphere is special.

“All the people coming down outside — the watch parties — everybody notices it,” he said. “You can hear them honking when we’re in the dressing room. Hear everything.

“Excellent”.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch walked the busy streets around Rogers Place after defeating the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.

“The excitement is high,” he said. “Playing in that game where so many people are interested in what’s going on, we’re excited to be a part of it. We are excited to be a part of the last game to be played in Canada (this season).

“But we’ll also be really excited to play the last game, which will be a Game 7, hopefully.”

Ekholm, who started his career with the Nashville Predators and made a run to the 2017 Cup Finals, is enjoying every moment.

Even an impromptu meeting at a local park.

“It was different … especially this playoff run,” Ekholm said. “People are excited, people are happy.

“It’s just a great thing.”

CRUSHING HER

The Panthers will make at least one lineup change for Game 6, with forward Nick Cousins ​​replacing Kyle Okposo.

Florida is also promoting defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to its top power play unit in place of Brandon Montour, whose rotation led to Connor Brown’s short-handed opener for the Oilers in Game 5.

“I think the composure he has at the top sets him apart and he likes it,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of Ekman-Larsson. — He returned to the wheelhouse.

DRAI SPELL

While McDavid has led Edmonton’s offense with 11 points in the series — including eight over the Oilers’ last two wins — Draisaitl has just two assists in five games.

“He played well,” Knoblauch said of the big center. “He did a lot of things for our team and missed the goals and assists.

“It has to do with the luck factor.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 20, 2024.

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Joshua Clipperton, Canadian Press