EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers aren't prepared to break the pace in their momentum.
After a clean Battle of Alberta sweep on Wednesday night at home with a 7-4 win over the Flames, Edmonton followed up with a 5-3 comeback victory Friday night on Calgary turf, taking the first two of four matchups this season.
Starting off the 2016-17 season with a 2-0-0 record, Oilers forward Milan Lucic said the team is pleased with the jump but need to continue to put their foot on the gas to achieve their ultimate end-goal.
"It's great that we're able to win both games to start off the season," said Lucic. "I think, if you look at last night's game, the positives that you can really take out of it is the way we played in the last two periods. I think we only gave up 11 shots and limited them to one goal after that first period and that's the way we've got to play if we want to have success.
"Obviously, there's still 80 games left. There's still a lot to improve on, there's still a lot we can get better at, but in saying that it's nice to start off the season up two games."
Even in areas where there is room for improvement, Oilers Captain Connor McDavid is pleased with the progress he sees the team making.
"We're doing some good stuff," he said. "Offensively, we've been good, I know we're generating a lot of chances. We've still got to tighten up defensively though. We gave up a lot of shots last night, especially in the first period. We did a good job in making some adjustments and got back to our game, so that's a good sign, but we still need to tighten it up."
EICHEL AND THE SABRES
It's going to be a different game for the Oilers when they face the Buffalo Sabres Sunday night.
The usual and expected excitement that surrounds the Connor McDavid-Jack Eichel faceoff - the number one and number two pick of the 2015 NHL Draft - won't be as prevalent Sunday evening as many fans may have hoped.
"I feel for Jack," said Oilers Head Coach Todd McLellan. "He's a great kid and a tremendous player."
McLellan, who had time to get to know and coach the young Buffalo forward when he suited up for Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.
"I really enjoyed my time with him at the World Cup, it was special. You could see all the talent and the enthusiasm he has for the game," said the Oilers bench boss.
"As an NHL entity, as the whole, as entertainers, you really feel sorry for some of these guys that are getting injured, as Connor was last year, because the losers in it all are the fans, and certainly the Buffalo fans are going to miss him at home and so will his teammates. It happens, it takes a real strong mental approach, as Connor had last year, to overcome that type of thing but knowing Jack, at least for a month, I think he'll have the tools to overcome it quickly."
