from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,
One year after finishing in 29th place in the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Oilers closed out their first playoff series in 11 years Saturday, dusting off the defending conference champion San Jose Sharks 3-1 to win their series in six games.
A team hopeful of simply making the playoffs when the season began back in October is now in a conference semi-final against Anaheim. There, the Oilers won’t be favoured, but they’ll have far more than just a puncher’s chance....
“Our team, we’re watching them grow up right in front of us,” marvelled McLellan. “We’ve been through a push into the playoffs. We’ve been through a round now. We’ve learned how intense it is to close out a game. We’ve learned how to respond after a blowout. We’ve learned to manage ourselves throughout a series. We’ve played in a hostile environment.”
And they’ll play again, in a series that will open later this week at Honda Center. They won’t be favoured, but we’ll say this: Edmonton has become a team you’ll bet against at your own peril.
“We’re a real team now,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “A competitive team.”
It’s been a long time since those words were spoken.
Get used to them.
Below, watch Connor McDavid post-game...
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