BLOG: Monday from Downtown Community Arena 05.17.21

EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers held a practice at Downtown Community Arena on Monday as they begin to prepare for Wednesday's Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Defenceman Kris Russell and forward Zack Kassian were both on the ice. Gaetan Haas, Joakim Nygard, Patrick Russell and Philip Broberg all joined the practice as it was winding down.
Stay tuned for complete coverage of practice and get all content from the day below.

Head Coach Dave Tippett on Slater Koekkoek pairing up alongside Ethan Bear at practice:

"Don't read into a lot of things. We've got good depth at defence now. Koekkoek's come in and he's got good experience. He's a big guy that plays well down low in our zone. We got to make sure he's back up to full speed. He played a strong game the other night in Vancouver, so we'll see where it goes. He's a strong defender that recognizes situations and has some good playoff experience."

Tippett on the 2020-21 NHL playoffs and how exciting they have already been:

"Playoffs are a different animal. You see the games and there's so much on the line. You see the passion and the work that goes into those games. Whether you're a player or a coach, you're watching games. I think all of our players were laughing talking about watching the games yesterday. That's just what playoffs are all about. It's the best hockey you can see and the best hockey in the world. Some of those games yesterday were competitive with everything on the line. I've said it for years and years, overtime hockey is, I think, the best sporting event on TV. It started with a bang yesterday and is fun to watch."

Goaltender Mike Smith on the upcoming 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs and how significant the experience will be:

"It means everything. I've talked about it before. It's special to play in the playoffs. You look back over the course of your career, these chances don't come along every year. When you do get an opportunity to play in the most important time of the year, it's something you want to take advantage of and be playing your best hockey."

Smith on whether a goaltender feels the need to outplay the opposing netminder:

"No, I don't think you look at it like that. It looks after itself. You just want to do whatever you can. You're focused on yourself and your group on this side. Just making saves at the right times in games to keep your team in the game and give them a chance to win. It's no different than the regular season, although the games mean a lot more.
"It's the same game. Two teams that have played each other a bunch of times this year, both in the playoffs for a reason. It's about what team is going to play better at this time of the year. It's exciting. It's something you look forward to as a player and as a professional. You want to play your best games at the most important times of the year and that's playoff hockey. I'm super thrilled to be back in there."

Smith on going up against the Winnipeg Jets, a team the Oilers defeated seven times in the 2020-21 season:

"We've had success but they're a good team. A lot of the games were close throughout the course of the season. What's done is done. The playoffs are just a new season altogether and a new animal. Whatever we've done throughout the regular season is over. We carry some confidence going into the playoffs knowing that we can beat anyone in the North Division. Hopefully, that shows come Game 1."

Smith on transferring late-season success to the playoffs:

"That's something that we talked about the last three weeks of the season. We want to be playing some of our best hockey that we've played all season long going into the most important games. I feel like we've done that even though circumstances get difficult later on in the season when the games don't matter as much. It's something we've drilled home every single game and into practices, that we want to be buzzing and humming on all cylinders here going into Game 1 of the playoffs. I feel like our group is in a really good spot to do some damage."

Smith on the competitive sense he's getting from Oilers Captain Connor McDavid ahead of playoffs:

"Just a player that's very motivated. Not only personally for his own game but as the captain of our group and as our leader, he's just taken strides this year that are super impressive. Everyone knows what he did on the scoreboard but the maturity this kid brings every single day and how much he wants to be an impact for this group says a lot about him and what he's given this organization. It's tremendous to be able to play on a team with a guy like that. I know for a fact he's not settling just for the success he had in the regular season. This is a very motivated player that wants to be an impact player in the playoffs. I'm sure we'll see him, if it's possible, take it to another level come Wednesday."

Forward Jujhar Khaira on the Oilers dominating the regular-season series versus Winnipeg:

"As of right now, it means nothing. During the season, it was great and got us to the spot we wanted to be going into the playoffs. Everybody knows that playoffs are a different animal. Whatever happened in the regular season doesn't count anymore. We're going in there as a hungry team and a team that has something to prove. We're excited to get going. It's going to be a big test for us."

Khaira on what he learned from last year's Qualifying Round and how it can be applied to the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

"Last year was my first taste of it and it was exciting. From the games that have been playing, they're physical games. Us that have the big bodies, that's our chance to make a contribution during the playoffs. It's going to be a physical series and they're going to be grind-y games. It's just who can do it better?"