TALKING POINTS: Oilers speak ahead of the Western Conference Final

DENVER, CO - President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Ken Holland, Head Coach Jay Woodcroft and players Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mike Smith and Darnell Nurse spoke to the media on Monday at Ball Arena in the build-up to Tuesday's start of the Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche.
Read the full transcript from Monday's interviews and watch the full media availabilities below.

Holland on the similarities of Colorado and Edmonton in their post-season journeys:
"You nailed a lot of it. In the LA series, we went through a lot of adversity to play our way in. Then in Game 6, we had to go on the road and win a big game and come home. Colorado went through their adversity in the second round. It felt like they were going to close it out at home and then they had to go on the road to St. Louis and win a big game. Playing in the playoffs is about dealing with adversity -- somewhere along the line, you have to win some big games and both teams had to do that to get here."
Holland on making a coaching move during the season and comparisons of Jay's team in Bakersfield to the Oilers:
"First off, Woody and I go back to 2005 when Mike Babcock hired him as the video coach, spent three years in our organization, and won a Stanley Cup together in 2008. Woody left with Todd McLellan to go to San Jose. Then when I came here three years ago, Woody and I talked about his aspirations and I said to him I wanted to bring in a veteran coach at the time and I brought in Dave Tippett. Woody expressed to me his desire to grow into an NHL coach, we talked and had him go down to Bakersfield.
"I've watched over the last three years the job he's done in developing our young players. He turned that into a winning program last year. Bakersfield won the Pacific Division championship in a pandemic year and had them going this year. I guess I ultimately made a gut decision. I felt I wanted to bring somebody from the outside, but not the way outside, and made a decision to bring in Woody. I don't know if we'd be here if it wasn't for the impact that Woody has had on our team.
"Certainly our players have played at a high level and our team has really responded to Woody. He brought in some little tweaks and we really tightened it up. He's had great communication with our team and Woody has been a big factor in us sitting here today."
Woodcroft on instilling a winning culture in the Oilers:
"From day one we talked about putting our players first. That was important to us. We wanted to be open-minded with what we were seeing. When a new coach comes in, you want to make sure everybody had a clean slate. We were very clear in our communication about what our expectations were. It's not something that is built immediately -- it's built brick by brick. We had a philosophy that success is built sequentially. We just wanted to stack a good day on top of a good day. A lot of the local media that are here right now have heard me say ad nauseum that we want to take care of the day's business. If we take care of things on a day-to-day basis, the outcomes will take care of themselves."
Holland on Smith and if there were times where he questioned if a 40-year-old goalie could get them to the finish line:
"Last year in the Canadian division he had a .923 save percentage and was a top-10 in the league in save percentage. We made a decision to re-sign him and obviously signed him to a two-year contract. I think it's kind of a hometown discount when you look at the number. We felt he had two years in him. We got to Training Camp and unfortunately, he got a nagging injury in the first half of the year. I was never worried about it. When he's played, he played at a high level for us. He brings swagger and he brings confidence to our group. I think he's the best puck-handling goalie of his era and he helps out our defence big time. It was just a matter of getting him healthy and getting him playing and practicing regularly. The second half of the year he did that and again, you don't get this far without goaltending.
"I think back to just before we went 2-11-2 and we had Calgary at home on a Saturday night and Koski was the first star. He stopped 46 out of 49 shots and we started to head in the right direction after that night. Our goaltending has played a big factor in us getting here and Smitty has been huge for us down the stretch."
Holland on how this team is different from the previous years:
"We went through it in San Jose, we went through it in Detroit -- it's experience. You have to go through it multiple times and there are going to be disappointments and you have to learn from those disappointments. The manager learns from those disappointments and makes some tweaks. So do the coaches and the players, and they're more prepared for the next go-around. We played in the Play-In Series against Chicago and I thought we played regular-season hockey and got beat out in four. I thought last year we played playoff hockey, it was tight, it was hard, and all three games went to overtime. You look at the growth of Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, McLeod, and we made a couple of additions. Over the last two years, we lost Klefbom and Larsson on the back end and we wanted to get more veteran defencemen, so we got Keith, Ceci, and Kulak at the deadline.
"I think through the experiences, our team is more ready for this year's playoffs and a little more mature because of the internal growth and some of the moves that we've made. With Woody, it has all come together down the stretch and into the playoffs."

Holland on Darren Helm's emergence as a player under him during his time in Detroit:
"What I remember about Helmer was back in 2008, the year we [Detroit] won the cup, he got called up in November for six or seven games. He was young, it was his rookie year, and we sent him back. I went down to Grand Rapids in March and I said to Mike Babcock that he should really look at Helm as he had really improved. He came back, played the last two or three games and the first four games against Nashville and he didn't play. In Game 5, they inserted him into the lineup and he played every game and we won the Stanley Cup. Then I sent him back down to the American Hockey League for another [season] to make sure he was ready. He's now on the other side, but I certainly have great respect for Darren."
Holland on Joe Sakic's ability and achievements as Colorado's General Manager:
"I think he is one of the best in the business. He took over a team that was near the bottom of the pack three-to-four years ago. Some of the trades he's made to build this team and the patience that he's had, I get to sit in the manager's room and if I had to judge, I think he's one of the top general managers in the National Hockey League. Steve Yzerman as well. Obviously I worked with Steve, but in my mind, Joe and Steve are two of the best in the NHL."
Holland on the Oilers hitting a wall in the playoffs and trying to navigate that:
"We lived it together. You got to keep trying. If you believe in your core and you just try to keep building around it, you wait for some internal growth. Woody and I know in '06, Edmonton beat us in the first round and we had 126 points. There was talk that the Red Wings at that time were too European and too small, but we believed in the team and you tweak. Next year, you come back and you go a little further. I think you stick with it. There are so many teams that are so close. It's such a fine-line league that you have to stick with it. Certainly, that's what Joe Sakic has done and I think that's what lots of teams do. So many games are decided in overtime, on a save, or a puck that hits the post and goes in or out. You just stick with it."
Holland remembering the Detroit and Colorado rivalries from the late '90s:
"It was emotional. The hit by Lemieux on Draper, both teams were elite teams with superstar players. There was no salary cap, so there were big deals at the deadline and off-season acquisitions. You would look at the schedule and see when you played Colorado. The fanbases were fully engaged, it was an incredible rivalry. I think we played five series in seven years. We won three Stanley Cups and they won two, so you're talking about two elite teams in the prime of their careers that had a genuine dislike for one another. It was a fun time."
Holland on the lost opportunity of having McDavid and MacKinnon as the top two centers on the Canadian Olympic team:
"We had meetings in December with John Cooper and he was salivating at the line combinations. Certainly, in this series, you have some great players on both teams with good depth, it has the makings of a memorable series."
Woodcroft on the growth of the young Oilers players and the key to reaching them as a coach:
"You talk about some of the young guys that came through the program from Bakersfield. There are a lot of shared experiences there, shared victories, and some hard moments along the way. Growth moments presented themselves. As a coach, you want to capitalize on those types of opportunities when they show up. I saw Ryan McLeod first become a professional. I saw Yamo when he first came into the NHL as a professional, and down in Bakersfield and they are two guys that really stepped up. I saw Evan Bouchard play his first game as a professional in the playoffs in the AHL. Those guys that came through the program, there are shared circumstances that you draw from. I got to see them at their best in certain types of situations, so I felt comfortable about deploying them in certain types of ways.
"In terms of some of the younger players in their mid 20's here, a lot of them I saw as an assistant coach when I first began in the organization. I agree with Ken, you have to go through some of the scars in order to see some growth. It's not always fun, but at some point, the fabric of your team gets tested. Over our three months here, I've seen different growth opportunities present themselves. We wanted to capitalize on those.
"One of the messages we give to our team is the old saying that the road to success is paved with mistakes well-handled. For us, that is something we really look to capitalize on. To seize on those mistakes, make sure you're highlighting them and learning from them. I think our team has done a good job at that over the last couple of months."
McDavid on what he makes of his matchup with Nathan MacKinnon:
"They're a good team over there. They've proven that over the last couple of years, and obviously this year was no different. They've got some really special players, they're deep all around. A real good team."
Draisaitl on sharing the sentiments of having 'not won anything yet' with the Avalanche:
"Yeah. It's hard to win in this league, right? It's not easy to do, but we're going through that right now. But obviously, as Connor said, it's two highly-skilled teams going at it and it'll be a fun series to watch and obviously fun for us to be a part of. Just looking to get out on the good end."

McDavid on Mike Smith's story this season and their confidence in him:
"We've got lots of confidence in Smitty. He's 40 years old, but he brings so much energy and so much passion to the game. He battles so hard in there, it makes you want to play hard in front of him for sure."
McDavid on what he likes about MacKinnon's game:
"There's a lot to like, obviously. He skates really well, he's strong, he plays the game at top speed all the time, and he makes it tough to defend."
McDavid on playing against former Erie Otters teammates Andre Burakovsky and Kurtis MacDermid and what he remembers about playing with both:
"I just remember that first time being on the ice with Burakovsky was pretty eye-opening. There was a little bit of a debate about if he was coming to play for us or wasn't, and he showed up. Just getting out there with him and seeing him skate and seeing him shoot the puck, it was really impressive. He obviously had a great year there in Erie and has moved on and done great in the NHL."
"Obviously Big Mac back there is just a massive human. That's obviously the first thing. He plays the game really hard, plays the game the right way, great guy off the ice, and a really good teammate. Certainly I loved my time with both of those guys."
Draisaitl on the value of getting to the Western Conference Final and what it does for the group's confidence and belief:
"I think every team that makes it this far to the Conference Finals has a bit of swagger to them, has confidence to them, and it's no different with us. We're a confident group. I'm sure they're a confident group over there, so it should be some great hockey and two really good teams going at it like I said. I think we're all very excited to get it going."
Draisaitl on what's stood out about Woodcroft taking over coaching duties and instilling the winning culture in Edmonton:
"First of all, I think that winning culture and the attention to detail, he reads the game really well from back there. He seems to find the right moves to adjust our lineup whether that's mid-game or for a different game. He's very smart, and very good at adjusting on the fly. He's obviously been big for us."
Draisaitl on what's been the biggest difference or change between this year's playoff run and the last:
"I think we've scored goals at the right times this season. Sometimes that's just the way the playoffs work. Last year it just seemed like we could never score at the right times, and there were other things that we didn't do well last season for us to advance. Maybe things that we're doing better, we're sticking through it even if we're down a goal or down a. game whatever it is. We're just kind of sticking with it and just going about our game the same way every single shift. I think we've taken big steps in that regard, and obviously we're going to have to show that this series."

Draisaitl on his relationship with fellow German and Colorado forward Nico Sturm and what might stand out about him:
"Yeah, he has a pretty inspiring story. I think when he was younger, maybe his path never really showed the NHL for him, but he obviously worked his tail off and worked extremely hard at what he does and at his game to become a full-time NHL player. That's inspiring, that's great, there's a lot of hard work he put in over the years I'm assuming. Really happy for him."
Nurse on how facing McDavid in practice prepares them to face another dynamic player in MacKinnon:
"Obviously when you get to practice against one of the best players in the world, and we have two that are up there that are pretty special, it prepares you. But when you get into the game, every player in this league is special and they have a couple on Colorado. You've got to be on top of your game. Practice is one thing, but when you get the juices going and you're playing at the magnitude and the level that we are now, you've got to play at a whole different level."
Smith on how practicing against McDavid prepares him for playing MacKinnon:
"They're different players, so it's hard to compare them. But obviously Nate is a unique player, a special player, a powerful guy, and you've got to be aware when he's on the ice. Every team seems to have one or two or three elite players that you get used to playing in practice, but when the game starts it's kind of a different ball game. They have some special players over there that you just have to know when they're on the ice and know they can get in your face pretty fast. You've got to be ready for anything."
Smith on relishing these playoff runs at 40 years old and if he feels his age more:
"Yes. Obviously it's been a rocky year leading up to the playoffs, so I did feel 40 early on in the season. But saying that, I think to answer your other part of the question, you realize as you get older that your chances to make a push and make a run for the Stanley Cup are getting narrower and narrower, so I think it's something that we've talked about as a group that your opportunities to get to the Conference Final don't come around every day. It's something that you want to take advantage of when you get here and prepare yourself to try and get to the ultimate spot, and that's in the finals. It'll take everyone pulling on the same rope and giving it our best shot to get there."
Smith on learning from Dwayne Roloson during the '11-12 Playoffs with Tampa Bay:
"Yeah. I think you can learn a bit from everybody. I think Dwayne was an older guy that did well at the age that he was, and I just think it's a number at this point to be honest. You gain experiences along the way as you get older and older, and they can only help you in situations like this. I think you just want to get as much rest as possible, I think that's the advice he'd probably give me at this point. The days you have off to really prepare and get your rest, then you have as much energy as possible when you're put in those tough spots in those games that maybe go a bit longer than you're used to. I think it's just preparation, and then when you're in the game, you play it like another game.

Nurse on comparing the stress of these playoffs to last season:
"This year I don't have to worry about getting a text after the game that my lady is in labour, so this has been a lot more fun going deeper now too. In all honestly, my fiancée was unbelievable during all that, so I'm lucky from that standpoint. Going through these series, you just have to worry about hockey and that's been fun. We've been on a great run here, and we're just hungry to keep it going."
Smith on catching more pucks than most goaltenders as a factor of being a baseball player:
"It doesn't hurt. I was a catcher in ball until I was I think 17, so it doesn't hurt. As a kid, I was always transferring from ball into hockey and then back into ball, so it was something that I loved. I loved ball growing up as much as hockey, and obviously catching and hand-eye coordination were pretty important as a catcher. It obviously doesn't hurt the situation at all."