BLOG: Oilers back at it Sunday following All-Star break

EDMONTON, AB - 'Work day' was the message scribbled on the whiteboard of the Oilers locker room by Head Coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday afternoon as his squad returned from the NHL All-Star break and practiced at the Downtown Community Arena.
"Today was a work day. (Woodcroft) put that up on the board that it was a work day, so we all knew were kind of in for one," forward Dylan Holloway said. "But no, it's good. It's something we need to do after a break kind of getting the legs back and it was a good practice."
"I think we set a goal today of it being a work day and we told our guys, we were upfront right off the bat that we were going to get them up and down the rink today," Woodcroft said about his whiteboard message. "When they walked in and looked at the board, they knew what was coming and I thought they did a good job. I think when you're upfront with them, it allows them to get prepared for it before they step on the ice."

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Stuart Skinner were back from their South Florida All-Star experience to join the squad for the skate, while Devin Shore returned from his conditioning stint with Bakersfield. The practice was up-tempo and featured high intensity skating drills and plenty of game situations.
The stated goal for Woodcroft was to get the players' legs going after a weeklong hiatus. Time spent in the sun and on the golf course was a great refresher for the body and mind, but now the Oilers are looking to put their next trip swinging the sticks off for as long as possible.
"Honestly, it feels good. It's kind of tough on the body a little bit. You feel the wind a little bit, but it's good," Holloway said about the skate. "The mental break's good, but you're excited to get back at it. I think that's the big thing -- get ready to go for this last little push here before playoffs."

The Oilers came into the All-Star break playing some of their finest hockey of the season, sporting a 7-0-1 record in the eight games prior to the hiatus. The team will head on the road for a four-game trip starting in Detroit on Tuesday against the Red Wings.
As the team continues to push their way up the Western Conference standings, Woodcroft believes a lag coming out of the break is something his squad needs to avoid.
"We're coming off this break the same way 31 other teams are coming off this break. Some teams are going to handle it great, and some won't handle it as great," Woodcroft said. "I liked what I saw in practice today, but we're going to have to build on what was laid down today and we've got to just keep improving on a daily basis."

The practice wasn't just a bag skate to get the players lungs and legs burning. The session had purpose, beginning with simple rushes to get the goaltenders and the players feeling the puck before transitioning into intense team sessions.
The scrimmage was capped off with a little friendly competition, with Woodcroft pitting the split squads in a three-on-three overtime and shootout simulation.
"I think there's different ways to get the work rate where it needs to be and we finished with something a little competitive there at the end," Woodcroft said. "When you do that, the players usually up their intensity because there's something on the line, and as I said, I thought we got them up and down the rink today. I thought they gave us what we needed to get out of them. Tomorrow we're going to look to build on that."