Even though the dominoes appeared to be falling in the Edmonton Oilers' favor on Thursday night, the team still needed a big win to secure home-ice advantage in the playoffs and avoid facing the Colorado Avalanche. Not only did they get the win, but the Oilers also showed up with one of their most solid 60-minute efforts of the regular season. TRENDING STORIES: How Oilers Stack Up In the Western Conference Playoff Race [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/how-oilers-stack-up-in-the-western-conference-playoff-race] Connor Ingram Deserved Better in Oilers’ 2-1 Shootout Loss [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/connor-ingram-deserved-better-in-oilers-2-1-shootout-loss] Matt Savoie got his first career hat-trick, Connor McDavid posted four assists and won his 6th Art Ross award with 138 points, Evan Bouchard had three assists and ended the season as the NHL's highest-scoring defenseman with 95 points, Colton Dach had a Gordie Howe hat-trick, and Connor Ingram was solid again, allowing only one goal. Edmonton outshot Vancouver 35-12 in a game Mattias Ekholm said the group should be proud of. "We came out and looked assertive in every way possible, and wasn't going to let this one slip. So kudos to us for having a professional performance against a team that looked like they kind of wanted to go on their break." Connor McDavid said after the win, "Was very determined. Yeah, it was an important one. Obviously, we wanted to start here at home and give ourselves the best chance during the first round. " McDavid talked about the chemistry he's building with Savoie and said that now that they've played together a bit, they're starting to understand each other. Ekholm said Savoie has been outstanding since the New Year, and he's provided a much-needed boost, having figured out how to play on the top line with the world's best player. Matt Savoie scored a hat trick for the Oilers in their final regular season game: Photo by © Perry Nelson Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f2fe794d-1bc8-40c6-bbbf-2f454da32f14.jpeg] Matt Savoie scored a hat trick for the Oilers in their final regular season game: Photo by © Perry Nelson Imagn Images Meanwhile, Ingram continues to be a rock in goal, Dach is providing energy, and Connor Murphy got into another scrap and won it decisively. This is starting to feel like a team that can play any style of game and win. THE OILERS WILL NOW FACE THE DUCKS As for the Ducks being their first-round opponent, everyone on the team said, to a man, they didn't care if it was Anaheim or someone else. Only Ekholm admitted it was kind of nice to see someone new. The Oilers are aware that Anaheim plays a fast-paced game, as evidenced by the many goals scored in their previous contests. The Oilers are hoping they've found a bit of the secret sauce defensively and can limit goals against. "Yeah, they're a really good team," said Darnell Nurse. "And they're good, good skill team, so it's good, be a good test here." The Oilers all feel confident in their game. The expectations are high. Will Leon Draisaitl be back in time to play? Nothing is confirmed, but it certainly feels that way. He spent 90 minutes on the ice Thursday morning, pushing hard. "Looks really, really strong," said McDavid. "You know, it's a credit to him. It's a credit to our staff here. I keep saying how good our staff is. And it's a time of year where health and injuries play a big factor... and it's also a credit to Leon wanting to be there, wanting to be a difference maker, and he will be." Game 1 will be Monday night at home at Rogers Place. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/] team site to never miss the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day] coverage, and more [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/players]. Add us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwn-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] favourites, and never miss a story.
