When I turn on an analytical coach’s mind to deconstruct the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, something truly weird happens. Time slows down, but it also speeds up.

Time has no meaning. We’re all just bags of meat.

What I think I mean is that chunks of the game blend together. Every moment has meaning, so because my mind is engaged, the play slows down.

But then, all of a sudden, it’s the second period, and everything has happened. I’m trying to watch for key moments that will define an entire game, and with your 2026 Edmonton Oilers, this is futile. You don’t know what’s going to happen three shifts from now, and the coaching staff hardly knows. So in this sense, the game flies by. The ebbs and flows with this team are dizzying, but the game in the playoffs is all about momentum and how you respond to it.

A coach mentor of mine, Gardiner MacDougall, refers to momentum as Lady Mo — Lady Momentum — and the thing about momentum is that it’s a lot easier to lose than it is to gain.

Watch this goal from a few playoffs ago. Edmonton vs. L.A., of course. Watch how determined Connor McDavid is on this play. And watch how many opportunities Kings players had to stop him. There’s probably a penalty in there somewhere, and instead of trying to catch Connor, Sean Durzi is complaining to the referee. This goal has a lot less to do with skill than it does with pure will. Connor is the hardest-working player on the ice, and his skill takes over. It’s a one-on-four!........

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