"I think that's all about going through the process," McDavid said. "We've talked about it before. We've had failures in the playoffs and learning from those, and like you said, those two-minute lulls, you have to find a way to get yourself out of them.
“Playoff hockey is a lot about momentum and holding it while you have it and wrestling it back when you don't while limiting the mistakes in giving it away. Those stretches of games, obviously that's not what we're looking for and you’ve got to grab it before it causes too much damage."
While it'll be important to keep their emotions in check, defenceman Darnell Nurse emphasized the need for him and his teammates to embrace the raucous environment inside Rogers Place tonight and allow it to fuel their drive to come out with a victory in Game 1 on home ice for the first time since 2017.
Inside the Oilers dressing room, it's just another hockey game, and maintaining their composure through another emotional playoff run is at the heart of that process for the Blue & Orange.
“The atmosphere in our arena is always amazing at this time of the year," Nurse said. "The games are so important, so the excitement's there, but I would think the emotions aren't too high in our room and in our group because it's something you have to manage throughout these playoff series, so I would say it's a good time for us.”
“I think the biggest thing is, and you notice it as you get older, it’s just another game. And sure, there's amplified noise in the building. There's more on the line for what each game means. But at the end of the day, it's just hockey and I think as our team gets more and more comfortable in these situations, you just come out here and play.
"For me personally, that's just coming out and playing and trying to take in a little bit of the emotion and just have fun out there and enjoy it.”