McDavid expects 'great Game 7' after Oilers rebound against Canucks
CTV
A full-game effort by the Edmonton Oilers led to their 5-1 victory over the Canucks in Game 6 on Saturday to send the best-of-seven series to the limit, with the decisive showdown set for Monday in Vancouver.
After dropping their previous game in this see-saw battle of a playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers came ready to play and to pay closer attention to detail.
It led to a full-game effort by the Oilers — who were facing elimination in Game 6 Saturday night at Rogers Place — in their 5-1 victory over the Canucks to send the best-of-seven series to the limit, with the decisive showdown set for Monday in Vancouver.
"I thought we played faster, cleaner," said star Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who recorded three assists in the win after being held to just one point the previous three games.
"We were better with the puck, better coming through the neutral zone. We did a great job of getting on top of them on the forecheck and keeping pucks alive."
Setting a fast pace was "the key" for the Oilers to control the game and find scoring opportunities, said winger Zach Hyman, who scored what proved to be the winning goal 7:14 into the second period on a feed from linemate McDavid.
"When we're playing fast, we're getting more opportunities, more looks at their net, and I thought we got some looks off the cycle, too, and then we capitalized," he told media following the game at Edmonton's Rogers Place.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said his team made more plays and executed more effectively on Saturday compared to their performance in Thursday's Game 5 loss because they were taking charge.
