BLOG: Oilers excited for a 'juicy' Game 7 at Rogers Place

LOS ANGELES, CA -"It's going to be juicy."
That's the way Evander Kane, who stuck up seven hockey-gloved fingers after scoring the insurance goal last night, described what playing Game 7 will be like in front of a rambunctious Rogers Place crowd.
It is a sentiment shared, in a slightly different manner, by the Oilers head coach.
"We're excited about doing it in front of the most rabid fans in the National Hockey League. It will be nice to play in front of our sold-out building," Jay Woodcroft said. "I can tell you our players feel the support of not only our fans, but also our city."
The hard-fought Game 6 victory will give the Oilers a chance to close out the series on Saturday with home-ice advantage hopefully factoring into the final result. It's an opportunity that wasn't always a given. After Edmonton took control of the series with a pair of commanding six-goal wins, Los Angeles stormed back and pushed the Oilers to the brink of elimination.
Destiny is now in the Oilers hands. Win, and a second-round matchup against Calgary or Dallas is in the cards. Lose, and a promising second half of the season will all be for not.

"It feels a lot better than the (alternative)," Mike Smith said about going to a series deciding seventh game. "I think it's obviously what dreams are made of. Going to Game 7 back at home in Edmonton. Guys are pretty excited."
The Oilers were sent to the winner-takes-all contest courtesy of a laser shot from Tyson Barrie. The defenceman received a short saucer pass from the labouring Leon Draisaitl, took advantage of the heaps of space given up by the Kings defence, and ripped the game winning goal past a cheating Jonathan Quick with 5:10 remaining to make a Game 7 at Rogers Place a reality.
"I can't wait. The fans have been amazing all year," Barrie said. "All playoffs, you guys have seen the crowds and what they've gotten up to. It's going to be bonkers in there. We can't wait to get on the ice for Game 7."

The Oilers will have to be mindful of getting too 'juicy,' to quote Evander Kane. In the opening game of the series, several on the Oilers roster admitted to pre-game jitters contributing to a less than stellar opening stanza. Over the course of the playoffs, the locker room believes they have learned how to channel the electricity provided by the Rogers Place faithful.
"I think Game 1 maybe was the only time we were a little nervous," Barrie said about the energy. "We've settled in now. Give Los Angeles credit, they've played a couple good games in our rink. We want to be at home for this one, and we want that rink rocking like it will be."
In the history of the organization, the Oilers have come out of Game 7 with a victory more often than not, sporting a 6-4 record overall. The most recent elimination game for Edmonton was their second-round defeat to the Anaheim Ducks during in the 2017 post-season. While the result is something to forget, the playoff experience in a win-or-go-home scenario is something to draw upon.
"Experience is what it is. I think if you've been around, you've been through different ones in your career and that can only pay dividends in the hard moments," Smith said. "I think it's one game, anything can happen, and you just have to try and bring your A-game and put it all out there."

The final bit of preparation before the logo clad locker room doors part, 'Enter Sandman' thunders over the Roger Place sound system, and the full throat of 18,000 plus Edmontonian's serenade the Oilers on to the ice is… a little rest and relaxation.
"We think it's a great opportunity for us. We've had some really good moments in this series, but for us to get to where we want to get to, we need to recalibrate right now," coach Woodcroft said. "We have to rest properly, we have to travel properly, and we have to get our minds right for what tomorrow's challenge is going to require."