BLOG: Sunday's travel day to Denver

EDMONTON, AB - From the thick of a second-round Battle of Alberta into the thin air of a Western Conference Final.
The Edmonton Oilers took to the ice for a full skate on Sunday morning at Rogers Place before boarding a team flight to Denver in advance of the start of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.
The Oilers will arrive in Denver two days prior to their scheduled start to Game 1 on Tuesday at 6:00pm MT to allow extra time to acclimatize to the altitude in the Mile High City, where home-ice advantage for the Avalanche is felt more physically than anywhere else in the National Hockey League at 1,609 metres above sea level.
"I remember my first time playing there and hearing about it. Quickly, I found out it's pretty accurate," forward Evander Kane said. "It does take a little bit of time to get adjusted to, but that might've just been because it was my first game there. You feel it a little bit. I think it's important to have short shifts, especially in the first period, to get things going. But we'll be there a couple of days early and that shouldn't be an issue."

Over the final 20 games of the regular season, the Oilers and Avalanche waged three hard-fought battles and split the points evenly with Colorado winning twice in extra time -- a shootout and overtime win -- while the Oilers were able to clinch a playoff spot on home ice with a spirited 6-3 victory back on April 22 at Rogers Place.
"They were really well-played hockey game that could have gone either way," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. "I thought the pace in those games was excellent, and the speed and skill of the players involved speak for themselves. I've learned in this playoffs not to try and predict anything, you just try to be the best you can on a nightly basis and you react to what you see."
An incredible season series between the two clubs sets the stage for what will be a highly-entertaining Western Conference Final that will showcase the incredible speed of both teams and the skill of their star-studded lineups, including the head-to-head matchup of Connor McDavid vs. Nathan MacKinnon.

"We played them three times down the stretch there. From my memory, all three games were competitive, tight games and fast-paced, so I think we have a comfort level with that," Kane said. "
"Personally, I've played a couple of series against them and know what that's like to play against them through the playoffs. I think there's a familiarity with both teams. I think it's going to be a little bit different this time around, but I think we're all excited."
Falling in line with their practice availability over the course of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, forward Leon Draisaitl and defenceman Darnell Nurse did not participate in Tuesday's practice along with defenceman Duncan Keith as the Oilers benefit from a few extra days of rest after defeating the Calgary Flames in five games with a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 5 on Thursday night.
"Playoff games are extremely taxing," Kane added. "When you're in a position to close a team out, you want to make sure you have that type of killer instinct to finish a series off. We have played in a couple of elimination games in the last two series. In the end, you're just trying to find a way to win a series.
"We found a way in two different types of series to get the job done. I feel we're in good health, we're rested, we had a good practice today and we'll be ready come Tuesday night."
Get all of the day's written and video content below and check back later for practice updates.
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- BLOG: Kane conveys post-season experience and expertise - BLOG: Draisaitl sets playoff record - BLOG: Oilers only at halfway mark - RELEASE: Oilers, Avalanche to play in Round 3