BLOG: Tuesday's practice at Rogers Place 05.18.21

EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers held a full-pull practice at Rogers Place on Tuesday, a day before the puck drops on Game 1 versus the Winnipeg Jets.
Stay tuned for post-practice interviews, articles and get all content from the day below.

Head Coach Dave Tippett's status update on Zack Kassian, who skated alongside Ryan McLeod and James Neal Tuesday:

"Kass really came a long way here in the last week. I didn't anticipate him being ready but he went through a full practice yesterday and came in today raring to go. He can be a valuable player. He's a big, hard player with good skill and speed. You watch these games on TV and how they're being played, he can be a real asset for us. With young McLeod there and Neal, McLeod's got a couple of good veterans on the side with some size. McLeod transports the puck very well. So, we'll see. It's got the makings of a good line."

Coach Tippett on Slater Koekkoek possibly drawing into Game 1:

"He was solid in the last game and he's worked awfully hard. His game is at a level where I think his experience and the weight he brings will help us."

Tippett on McLeod seeing his role increase with the Oilers after playing only 10 games:

"He's a good player. A smart player that does well in a lot of different situations and he hasn't looked out of place at all. I know he's a young player but he's a player that looks like he fits in well with our team.
"He plays to his strengths. He's a good two-way player and a positional player. He's got those big guys to bang around on the side of him and he does a lot of the puck work for them. He's a competitive player. He's not going to get out-muscled but he's a guy that reads situations well, checks well reading off situations and anticipates well. He's got those big guys beside him but we expect him to play a real solid game in between them."

Tippett on the Oilers leadership group and their preparedness for the playoffs:

"Their experiences throughout the League, not just in playoffs, bodes well for them. They're maturing as players. Their game is elite but they're maturity factor of leadership and what you have to be ready for getting into a playoff series. All those things have grown on them. I'm excited to see what they can do this time around."

Tippett on whether he changes his club's style of play in the post-season or keeps them intact:

"Your team has an identity or a style you want to play and you have to play that well. If you're chasing changes all the time, you never get good enough at one thing to be good at anything. We have a way that we want to play. There are certain situations when you're playing in playoffs, playing a team over and over again, there are tweaks you make, whether it be special teams or some faceoff stuff.
"But the main structure of how you play, you can't pre-empt that and just decide you're going to play a different way in the playoffs. To me, that doesn't work. You have a good foundation of how your team wants to play and the identity you want to play with. There are always some tweaks here and there in things that are not basic structure but tweaks, whether it be special teams and that. Do what you're good at. D what you're good at, do it well consistently and see how it goes."

Tippett on the pressure of competing in the playoffs:

"There's an old saying, 'Pressure is a privilege.' You earn that privilege by putting the work in to get yourself into those pressure situations. Embrace the pressure. Understand what it is. You're put in pressure situations because you've accomplished something and want to continue to accomplish something. That's what we're embracing: Pressure is a privilege. Enjoy the privilege.

Captain Connor McDavid on the need for players to get out of their comfort zone in the playoffs:

"I think for the teams that haven't started yet, it's pretty easy to figure that out just watching the games this week. You see guys playing hard, finishing checks, blocking shots. Doing all those little things that make you successful this time of year."

McDavid's assessment of the Jets' depth and how the Oilers can shut them down:

"They got good players. That's what makes a team deep. Upfront, they're as deep as anyone in the League. For us to be successful against the Jets, we got to check. We got to be hard on them, hard on their skilled guys, not let them generate the speed they want to. You hear lots of them talking about needing to shut us down but we got to shut them down. Their transition game is as good as anyone and they got a great power play. For us, discipline is important. Making sure that we're able to stay on top of them and not turn pucks over."

McDavid on the Oilers growth over the last 10 months:

"We're defending better, playing harder and probably just a little more mature. That's the main thing. Guys are starting to figure out this game, figure out what it takes to win, how hard it is and the sacrifices you have to do to make that happen."

McDavid on getting well-acquainted with the Jets over nine regular-season meetings:

"If you don't know the other team's game at this point, I'm not sure you're ever going to figure it out. We've played them nine times and we have a pretty good idea of what they like, what they're trying to do and personnel. You've definitely seen some close games throughout the start of the playoffs and I would think you're going to see the same thing in the Canadian division as it gets going this week."

Defenceman Adam Larsson on what he can recall from the Oilers playoff run in 2017:

"I remember a lot. That was a really fun time and I think that's something that can really fire you up and bring you back to how fun it was and how much excitement that brought to the team and city of Edmonton. That's something we will, for sure, embrace. Now we start here with a new year, new team and it's going to be fun."

Larsson on the Oilers raising their emotional level in games without fans in attendance:

"It's different for us but at this point, we've played 56 games with no fans. To be able to bring the energy and build it yourself shouldn't be an issue. We've been sitting here waiting for playoffs now for two weeks. We're really, really eager to get this going tomorrow."

Larsson on the expectations this post-season:

"We finished second in the (North) Division. With that, comes expectations. I don't know how many expectations we had our first year but this year, I just feel like we're ready. I feel like the mindset is in the right place. The group is in good spirits. To compare other years from this year is hard. I just look at this team right now and what we have right now. I feel like we're ready and prepared. That's the most important thing for us."

Larsson on the maturity of the Oilers leadership core:

"I feel like our leadership group is ready. The leadership group matured a lot throughout the years. They're still young and still got a lot of years ahead. We're focusing on it right now and I feel like our group has matured and looks ready. That's a big key for us right now."