I don't think there is an Oilers fan alive that hasn't heard the story of the Islanders 1983 Cup victory over the Edmonton Oilers. It's a story that guys like Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky love to share.

The story goes like this, the Edmonton Oilers were swept by the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1983. After the final game a few of the Oilers players, including Gretzky walked by the Islanders dressing room, expecting to hear cheering and laughing and celebration from the dressing room. Instead they saw a battered and bruised Islanders team, quietly going about their business. The players were too tired, too beat up and exhausted, because they gave every ounce of their energy to get there.

The Oilers would win the Stanley Cup the following year as well as four more in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990.

It's easy for Oilers fans to roll their eyes a bit at this story because of how often it gets brought up at alumni events but right now that is a story that I hope resonates with this group. The Oilers were beat by the Golden Knights in Round 2 last season in a series that Edmonton felt they should have won. They let the opportunity slip away. Edmonton has had some playoff success in recent years but still haven't come close to a Stanley Cup.

Most of these players have been here before. This group should now know what it takes to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. No opening night jitters, no cheating for offense, no taking a shift off. Starting tonight every player on that team needs to be focused on playing as a team and the best hockey of their life.

Welcome back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

---

OILERS LINE COMBINATIONS

Henrique - McDavid - Hyman
RNH - Draisaitl - Foegele
Holloway - McLeod - Perry
Kane - Carrick - Janmark

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais

Skinner

KINGS LINE COMBINATIONS

Laferriere - Kopitar - Kempe
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Fiala - Lizotte - Lewis
Byfield - Dubois - Grundstrom

Anderson - Doughty
Gavrikov - Roy
Englund - Spence

Talbot

These Kings lines were what LA played with in Game 82 of the season. No guarantee this is how they open the series. It appears that coach Jim Hiller is trying to split up his offense across the lineup to try and catch Edmonton off guard. If the top two lines here can find ways to produce, having Fiala on a third line and Byfield on a fourth line could cause some havoc for the Oilers.

Edmonton is looking at least on paper that they are going to be able to counter with depth of their own. The Holloway, McLeod, and Perry line was excellent heading down the stretch for the Oilers and I was pleasantly surprised to see Knoblauch keep them together instead of bumping Holloway down because a veteran player was healthy.

Speaking of that veteran player; Evander Kane. Kane surprised everyone in practice yesterday when he told member of the media that he had been dealing with a sports hernia all season and it's greatly affected his play. I can't remember the last time a player was so blunt with their injury, let alone right before the playoffs. I hope this last week has helped Kane at least recover a bit and that he is ready to play in Game 1.

Plenty of questions about that injury but the main one that comes to mind is, if this is something that has been bothering him all season, why did the team not either get surgery or sit him out until it fully healed. On top of that, why didn't Ken Holland put him on LTIR and then use that extra cap space at the deadline? I hate what the Golden Knights do with their LTIR situation but I also fault the league more because they don't step in. If other teams are going to circumvent the cap for their own gain, the Oilers might as well do it too.

Edmonton has beat LA in the playoffs two years in a row and while the Oilers are once again the favorite, fans can't help but be anxious about if LA can find a way to overcome their white whale. Edmonton has not won a Game 1 against LA either year and in both cases went into LA in Game 3 tied 1-1. In both Game 1's Edmonton looked jittery and afraid to make a mistake. Hopefully with experience now under their belts they can step in and look like they belong there.

Hopefully this is going to be a long playoff run for the Edmonton Oilers. I look forward to covering all the games for you all here.

Thanks for reading!

Join the Discussion: » 22 Comments » Post New Comment

» Oilers vs Golden Knights - McDavid Returns

» Draisaitl Stepping Up In McDavid's Absence

» Oilers Scary Halloween - No McDavid

» Loss to Blue Jackets a Reminder of Organizational Failure

» Oilers Return to .500 Hockey