Would you sit McDavid/Draisaitl at all during the remaining schedule?

[Mr Positive]

You sit Connor because we aren't winning shit without him and the odds of him winning the Art Ross are very slim. Put personal accolades aside for the betterment of the team. Get Holloway up and running, have everyone else up their games so that we can ride that wave as far as we can in the playoffs.

This. Nothing matters but getting him to 100%. Him having one away from 100 assists doesn't mean anything, and based on past playoffs, even securing the home seed isn't a big deal.

And it's not like playing without McDavid is an auto loss

 

[Vagabond]

I'd let McDavid get his 100th assist then rest him.

 

[CycloneSweep]

First in the division matters more than his 100 points.
27-8-3 at home
21-16-2 on the road.

Home ice advantage for as much of the playoffs as possible will be important. We are just not as good of a team on the road.

We have a goal differential of 0 on the road 12th in the league
+59 at home, second in the league.

Home ice is incredibly important for this club.

 

[trick91]

First in the division matters more than his 100 points.
27-8-3 at home
21-16-2 on the road.

Home ice advantage for as much of the playoffs as possible will be important. We are just not as good of a team on the road.

We have a goal differential of 0 on the road 12th in the league
+59 at home, second in the league.

Home ice is incredibly important for this club.

Those stats go out the window during playoffs. Having a long road trip with multiple cities, multiple hotels, multiple time zones can easily skew those stats.

I believe we were 3-3 in last years playoffs at home. A lot more pressure at home too.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Those stats go out the window during playoffs. Having a long road trip with multiple cities, multiple hotels, multiple time zones can easily skew those stats.

I believe we were 3-3 in last years playoffs at home. A lot more pressure at home too.

Do they?
Oilers were 23-12-6(11th) +35(7th) at home
27-11-3 (5th) +33 (5th) on the road
This team last year was pretty even, a little better on the road. So home/away didn't matter all that much.
Not the case this year.

 

[Fourier]

Those stats go out the window during playoffs. Having a long road trip with multiple cities, multiple hotels, multiple time zones can easily skew those stats.

I believe we were 3-3 in last years playoffs at home. A lot more pressure at home too.

Historically home teams have had a slightly higher winning percentage in the playoffs than they do in the regular season. Of course in a single series this may not mean much.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Do they?
Oilers were 23-12-6(11th) +35(7th) at home
27-11-3 (5th) +33 (5th) on the road
This team last year was pretty even, a little better on the road. So home/away didn't matter all that much.
Not the case this year.

The Oilers have been a .500 team at home in the playoffs in the McDavid era, despite great regular season home records the past few years

 

[K1984]

First in the division matters more than his 100 points.
27-8-3 at home
21-16-2 on the road.

Home ice advantage for as much of the playoffs as possible will be important. We are just not as good of a team on the road.

We have a goal differential of 0 on the road 12th in the league
+59 at home, second in the league.

Home ice is incredibly important for this club.

I believe that about 6 of those losses at home occurred during October/early November as well.

Think we've only lost at home three times since Remembrance Day basically.

The Oilers have been a .500 team at home in the playoffs in the McDavid era, despite great regular season home records the past few years

That doesn't really matter for this year. We haven't had home/road results this stark before, usually we are a saw off or even better on the road.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The Oilers have been a .500 team at home in the playoffs in the McDavid era, despite great regular season home records the past few years

Okay and in the McDavid era the team has usually been better or near equal on the road and at home.

That doesn't matter cause this year is different. Its a stark and drastic difference this year.
We break even on the road and dominate at home.

Home ice advantage is important overall statistically, even more so when your team is this much better at home.

 

[GOilers88]

Not to look past Arizona or anything, but the Oilers could potentially take the division lead Saturday. If they want to take home ice, it's going to be tough to sit them much down the stretch.

 

[Arpeggio]

Home ice is huge, yes they've lost a few home playoff games in recent years, but no one can convince me that playing a game 7 on the road is preferable to at home, especially given the splits this season.

Oilers win that Vegas series if they have home ice last year imo.

 

[K1984]

Not to look past Arizona or anything, but the Oilers could potentially take the division lead Saturday. If they want to take home ice, it's going to be tough to sit them much down the stretch.

I'd love for the team to win these next two games without McDavid. Would be a massive boon and he would be a fresh injection of energy while the team will probably be gassed.