3 Key Lessons the Toronto Maple Leafs Can Take Away from the Oilers
#3: Teams Don’t Need to be Defensive-minded, but They Need to Play Defense
The Oilers aren’t exactly what I would call a defensive-minded team.
But they played defense well enough to lock games down when it mattered the most.
The Oilers proved that in the Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. The Oilers won low-scoring games by tightening up their defense when it mattered in the third period.
Playing defense when it counts is something the Leafs were unable to do at times under Sheldon Keefe. There were plenty of instances of blown leads and mental lapses when leading in the third period. That attitude has to stop.
Though, to be fair, the Leafs played a series of great 2-1 games against Boston and nearly beat a better team despite their power-play going missing and their greatest strength - their offense - deserting them at the worst time.
The hope is that Craig Berube can keep the club focused and accountable for a full sixty minutes. That approach means playing tight hockey when leading after two periods.
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Sure, it’s fun to watch elite players like Matthews and Nylander wheel and deal. But if there’s one thing the Oilers proved, it’s that teams must play solid defense to win in the postseason.