BLOG: Oilers begin new segment where their early-season struggles began

VANCOUVER, BC – Staying present in pursuit of a turnaround from their slow start to the 2023-24 season will be critical for the Edmonton Oilers as they begin a new 10-game segment on Monday in the building where their struggles started.

“It's obviously not the ten games we envisioned ourselves starting with, but today is a great opportunity to start another ten-game segment and we happen to be doing it against the same team we started our first one with," forward Evander Kane said.

“I think it's a great opportunity for our group and I think the boys are hungry to get a 'W' tonight." 

The Canucks crushed the Oilers 8-1 in their season opener at this very-same venue Rogers Arena back in early October, and despite a much better follow-up effort a few nights later in the return fixture in Oil Country, Vancouver edged Edmonton 4-3 and have since kept the good times rolling with an 8-2-1 record that's good enough for second in the Pacific Division – 12 points ahead of the Blue & Orange.

For the Oilers, Monday night represents an opportunity to set themselves up for a new 10-game stretch by exacting their revenge on the Canucks in the building where their difficulties this season were unearthed.

“We talked about it yesterday. We didn't love our first ten games, and to be able to flush that segment and begin anew, what better place to play a game than where we started the season so poorly,” Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. “It gives us a chance to make good on that. We know obviously the start that Vancouver's got off to. They're one of the best teams in the Pacific Division and what a great opportunity is to put in a good effort and start the road trip the right way.”

Skinner is one of many who are keeping things simple and light-hearted in a bid to help the Oilers break out of their slump that’s led to a 2-7-1 start in their opening 10 games by staying grounded and keeping sight of the little moments off the ice that make up a huge part of the team's confidence – a detail that hasn't wavered within the locker room despite some early-season lapses.

“Just being in the moment I think is very important to kind of resetting because we can think as much as we want about the future and about tonight's game, but we have no idea what's going to happen,” netminder Stuart Skinner said pre-game.

“Same with the past. The past is over, we can't go back there and change things, so just being in the moment and really enjoying each other, not being too stressed out about kind of what's going on, just have some fun and make James Hamblin laugh like I know how.”

The Edmonton product has the extra bonus of having his former South Side Athletic Club teammate and fellow local product James Hamblin back in the fold after his recall from the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday, along with the opportunity to hit the road with his teammates in search of three victories on the West Coast.

“For me, I played a little bit of the [Nintendo] Switch on the plane ride over here, went out for a nice dinner with a few of the guys and just really enjoyed some sushi,” goaltender Stuart Skinner said pre-game on Monday afternoon.

“You’ve got to get sushi when you're in Vancouver.”

While their work on the ice in practice to limit individual mistakes and improve their collective scoring efficiency has been intensive, the Oilers are making sure that they’re not letting the process get the best of them and change their beliefs on what they’re capable of as a group.

“Sometimes less is more, sometimes you need to do more,” Skinner said. “I think in our case right now, I think we just got to relax a little bit and let games happen. I think that we're a great team here. I think that we know exactly what to do in every scenario, and I think we just have to remember that about ourselves.”