The sting of losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final lingered for the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
While the deep playoff run capped a roller-coaster season for the team, the Oilers ultimately fell short of their goal when they were beaten 2-1 by the Florida Panthers on Monday, said centre Leon Draisaitl.
“It’s obviously disappointing, it’s frustrating,” he said. “There’s only one team that can win, unfortunately. But I’m very proud of what we’ve been through this year.”
Getting over the loss will take time, added fellow Oiler Connor McDavid, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
“There were lots of happy moments throughout these playoffs, for sure,” he said. “A lot of great moments that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Played through injuries
Both Draisaitl and McDavid were hampered by more than bumps and bruises during the post-season, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed Wednesday.
He declined to comment on McDavid’s undisclosed injury, saying he didn’t have much information on the ailment. Evander Kane also played hurt, the coach said.
“Leon battled things throughout the playoffs — ribs, hands throughout the playoffs,” Knoblauch said. “At certain times it was worse than others. There were games we weren’t sure he was going to play. But he fought through it and played very well in those games.
“And then Evander with the sports hernia, something that’s been bothering him throughout the season. And it got to the point where it just limited his game. And unfortunately, we missed him.”
Expectations for the Oilers were high heading into the campaign, but the team sputtered out of the gate and got off to a dismal 3-9-1 record.
The team fired head coach Jay Woodcroft in November and installed Knoblauch in his place. Soon after, the Oilers went on a 16-game win streak, flirting with an NHL record in the process.
For two months Edmonton Oilers fans experienced the highs and lows of four playoff series. This montage sums up a Stanley Cup run that brought a city to life.
“It was going to turn around no matter what. We had too good of players in that room to not score more goals and win more games,” said forward Mattias Janmark. “But I think, also, to become the team that we thought we were and that we needed to be, we needed to start…
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