BUFFALO, NY - Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock is attributing the recent success of his club, a two-game winning streak, a 3-1-1 record in their last five as well as a 4-1-2 run in the past seven, to the team's checking.
"We're just checking well and when you check well, you give yourself a chance," the bench boss said Sunday at KeyBank Center. "It kind of goes hand in hand; when you're checking well, you're trusting your work. And if we continue to trust our work, we're going to continue to be competitive every night."
Not every outcome has favoured the Orange & Blue, such as the 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, but from Hitchcock's perspective, the team's ability to administer strong pressure offensively and defend well in their zone are all a by-product of the checking mentality, culminating in a positive effect on the team.
BLOG: Oilers trusting their checking
"When you're checking well, you're trusting your work and if we continue to trust our work, we're going to continue to be competitive every night," said Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
