POST-GAME: Oilers drive to improve yields big win over Wild

EDMONTON, AB - "I think sometimes, lessons come hard if you're deaf to them," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said post-game on Friday night.
"We want to make sure that when we are taught some lessons in the season, that we're paying attention and we use them as growth opportunities."
Having experienced their fair share of adversity so far through 28 games of this season, Friday night at Rogers Place had the makings of another tough challenge for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Minnesota Wild, winners of seven straight against the Oilers coming into Friday, have had the Oilers number historically with 17 wins in their last 20 visits to Oil Country that omits last week's win at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
"They've kind of had our number as of recent games, so we wanted to put our best foot forward here and needed a good start," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.
The Oilers, meanwhile, were looking to close out a winning four-game homestand against a fierce opponent in Rogers Place -- a place that hasn't been the fortress they've wanted it to be yet this season with an 8-7-0 record -- while navigating a multitude of injuries, line changes and tough travel beforehand.
"Before this homestand, I don't think we liked our home record," Zach Hyman said. "We want to make this place a hard place to play, and I think all last year we did and this homestand has been kind of reminiscent of that."
Looking to keep the full efforts coming and build on an offensive eight-goal outburst two days prior against the Arizona Coyotes, the Oilers assembled what many in the locker room could call their most-complete 60-minute effort to tame the Wild for the first time since Feb. 7, 2019 with a 5-2 victory.
"I think as it went along, we got better for sure," Nugent-Hopkins said of the 3-1-0 homestand. "Obviously strong effort against Arizona, then we followed it up with a good one tonight. I thought tonight, everybody was going and played a pretty solid 60 minutes overall. Stu made some big saves and was solid in there for us, but I thought overall it was one of our best 60 minute-performances to get one over on these guys. "

With names like Evander Kane, Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele missing, it's been players like Derek Ryan, Devin Shore and Klim Kostin helping pick up some of the slack. James Hamblin, with only six NHL games of experience to his name, finds himself centring the third line while picking up extra reps on the penalty kill.
Stuart Skinner, calm and collected in his approach, made 40-or-more saves for the second time across four consecutive starts between the pipes for the Oilers, while Kailer Yamamoto found the scoresheet for the first time this season with a big second-period redirection from a point shot by Darnell Nurse.
"I think guys are stepping up," Hyman said. "I think we have a lot of guys up front that are banged up and not playing. We got Yamo back which is great, and he's obviously made an impact since he's been back. Big goal for him tonight. Then, guys are getting called up like Hamblin, playing just steady for a guy who's only got a couple of games in the league. He doesn't make many mistakes, so it's great to see everybody contributing."
The Oilers rolled over the same lines from Wednesday's win over Arizona, and the chemistry came out on full display against Minnesota. The Kostin-Shore-Ryan unit put in another valuable shift over the 60 minutes, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continued his incredible season with a goal and two assists between Mattias Janmark and Kailer Yamamoto in his more-comfortable centre position.

It's been an up-and-down season for Edmonton to this point, but momentum slowly builds and the Oilers are seeing their hard work yield results in wins like these.
"Sometimes I think as much as everybody wants it to happen immediately, it is a process," Coach Woodcroft added. "There are different stages in the season, and the important thing that we're stressing as a coaching staff is the ability to get better every day.
"I would say what's gone into it is probably two-and-a-half months of trying to figure out a recipe that is sustainable over the long term, and I thought we played a very good hockey game today."
Even in the face of injuries and adversity, the Oilers feel like their foundation is beginning to take hold in hockey games and allow some of its depth players to make an impact -- as evidenced in Friday's solid showing against a team that's presented the club with a lot of headaches over the years.
"I think what we are finding out is that we're learning that when you play towards a structure and identity, it allows you to win hockey games even if you are banged up; even if you are missing important pieces," Woodcroft said.
The Oilers sense that they're getting back to the early-season success they experienced now with a 6-2-0 record since their dramatic third-period comeback over the New York Rangers on Nov. 26, while returning Rogers Place to the fortress it once was.

As healthy bodies return, they expect to take some bigger steps in hopes of peaking at the right time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Yeah, I think we're finding our game, but I think we have another level," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I think throughout an 82-game season, you want to steady the rollercoaster as much as possible, but there's ups and downs. By the end of it, you hope to find out what type of team you are and how you're going to be successful in the playoffs."
"I think that this homestand has kind of gotten us back to what our identity is and being a hard team to play against at home."