McDavid on Oilers’ Urgency and Need to Close Out Games

The message from Connor McDavid on Friday wasn’t panic — but it wasn’t complacency either. After another game where the Edmonton Oilers couldn’t hold a lead, the captain met with reporters following practice and delivered a calm but pointed assessment of where things stand.

“Probably a little bit more desperate, a little more urgency to win games,” McDavid said. “We’re putting ourselves in good spots, but we’re not closing them out.”

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It’s been a recurring theme early in the season. Edmonton has led in several games only to watch those advantages disappear late. McDavid admitted that it’s reached a point where the group can’t ignore it any longer.

“You’re going to give up leads sometimes,” he continued. “But when does it get to a point where it’s something to talk about? We’ve done it six times, so yeah, we’ve got to talk about it. It’s a fair question and something we want to figure out.”

The Oilers’ ability to control stretches of play hasn’t been the issue. It’s been the follow-through — the execution needed to finish games strong. McDavid acknowledged the team’s effort in “putting ourselves in pretty good spots” but said, bluntly, “We haven’t found a way to close them out, and that’s an area we’ve got to clean up.”

Facing Speed With Speed

Looking ahead, McDavid pointed to the team’s next opponent — one of the NHL’s fastest clubs in the Colorado Avalanche— as both a challenge and an opportunity to reset their game.

“It’s a great challenge for us,” he said. “They’ve got some special players over there that really move well, and you see the young guys — they buzz around pretty good. We can skate too, but we’ve got to start using it.”

He believes the Oilers can use their speed as well.

“We’ve got to get on the forecheck, get some pucks back, get through the neutral zone. That’s been a real problem for us. We’ve got to break the puck out, move it up the ice the whole way. We’ve got to do a better job at it.”

When the Oilers struggle to transition cleanly, McDavid said, the game “feels hard.” It’s a sign that the team is playing against its own strengths.

“We know what we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve got areas to clean up, and it’s time to get back to it. It’s time to go.”

Oilers Feel Refreshed and Refocused

After a stretch of travel and a packed schedule, the Oilers finally got a couple of days between games — something McDavid said was crucial for both recovery and recalibration.

“It’s been a lot of hockey, a lot on the road,” he said. “It was nice to have a couple of days off and then a longer practice today. It felt good to get up and down the ice, get moving, and get ready to go for tomorrow.”

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