Corey Perry may be a rookie on the Edmonton Oilers roster, but he’s certainly not a rookie in the NHL. No active player in the league has played more playoff games than Perry who has 197 playoff games under his belt and the rest of the Oilers’ roster is feeling his sense of calm and admiring his game-management skills as the team heads into Game 2 versus the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug talked about the Oilers’ approach as they try to take a stranglehold on the series. Not overly excited about the fact they won their first home-game opener in years and secured a win in Game 1 vs. the Kings for the first time in three tries, the Oilers are all business. Some of that is aging and maturing. A lot of that is Corey Perry’s influence, a player who has been to the Final on several occasions. He’s won once and lost three times.
Rishaugh said that it was Leon Draisaitl who told him Perry has the best game management he has ever seen. What exactly that entails wasn’t made clear, but the standard definition is known when to make what plays within a game. Perry has been there and done that, so he understands timing, making the right decisions and staying level throughout the ups and downs that come with the ebbs and flows of any particular contest.
Corey Perry Was a Wise Addition for the Oilers
That GM Ken Holland was able to pick up another steady veteran for league minimum after that player was essentially tossed out by his old teams means the Blackhawks’ loss is the Oilers’ gain. Perry has been a great fit, both in an on-ice production role and a leadership one.
Perry isn’t afraid to get in the mix with his opponents or his own teammates, should they need a not-so-gentle nudge. At the same time, he’s been around long enough to understand the nuances of those player-to-player relationships too.
And, as much as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (among others) are driven to win it all, Perry has failed three times but gotten as close as anyone. He’s also won before, so he knows the feeling that comes with being a Stanley Cup Champion and having it ripped out of your hands.
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