OverDrive - MacTavish on the Oilers' playoff journey, McDavid and Draisaitl's power and the goaltending direction

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

Former NHLer and Head Coach Craig MacTavish joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Oilers' playoff approach, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's strength for the team, the matchup against the Golden Knights, Calvin Pickard taking the starting role, Stuart Skinner looking to rally in the crease, the impressions on the Oilers' blue line and more.

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Alberta and BC. Thoughts are limited. So register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com. Join today and be part of something amazing. Join now by longtime NHLer, former player, former coach, longtime oiler. Here's Craig McTavish. How you doing Craig? Oh I'm doing great. Thank you. How are you guys? Old dog and noodles and you guys are all good? Yeah we're doing great man. You're not wearing down yet? No, not quite. Mac T, we just want to ask you, do you ever just watch old clips of yourself and say,

how am I alive after playing that long with no helmet? I never had a problem. Never had one problem. Never got a stick in the head. Never got a puck in the head. I know, but like what about a hit from behind? Like some of these collisions, these guys, like player on the Leafs, Pontus Holmberg, he went to the net last night and Kulikov absolutely

trucked him. Like if that's you with no bucket on, you're in trouble, Mac T. Or were you just such a smart player you never put yourself in trouble like that? Well, I could keep myself out of those danger areas. And if I was driving it to the net like that, I'd be very, very cautious. Or coming around the back of the net, I see Defensman coming around the back of the net not knowing what's on the other side and you know I can't remember myself ever doing that but no I just it was a different era the game was slower we were out there oh dog will remember

this because he was one of the greats at it, is you're out there kind of like hovering, waiting for something to happen. There was some hustle involved too, Mac T. Come on. It's not just total hovering. Then you get hustling when something happens. Okay, it plays on, let's get going. But in today's game, you're expected to be at full speed every second that you're out there of your 38 second shift.

But I don't know how O-Dog would have handled all that, but he could still shoot it in the net. That's for sure. I got to be honest though, Craig. When I was with you in St. Louis, and I feel like I saw you absorb one of the hardest hits I've ever seen and just basically get up and skate away like nothing I mean you were Correct me if I'm wrong the last guy to play without a bucket correct

Yeah, that's right. What do you remember who hit me because I don't and maybe that's It was a different era, I agree. Yeah. I've always wondered though, Craig, like did any trainer or coach ever say, do you want to try a helmet? Like do you want to give it a shot at the end or was it just, hey, don't even ask me because it was grandfathered in. You didn't have to, just like guys not wearing visors, man, there still I think three or four players in the league that aren't wearing a visor

yeah no it was uh in 1979 if you were in and that's the year I came in to Boston and uh you know at that point nobody wore a helmet like nobody and that was a veteran team in Boston we had all these tough guys and it would be sacrilege for those guys to put a helmet on. Stan Jonathan, Terry O'Reilly, John Wentzink, Mike Milberry, those guys. Mike actually wore a helmet, but he was maybe the only guy. Jean Rattel, nobody wore a helmet back then in practice. I just got used to not wearing one and kept it off. Ironically, the guy that

was second was Brad Marsh, the second last guy not to wear a helmet. He and I played at the same age. He lived a half a mile from my house growing up and who knew? Two guys from the same minor hockey system. Mac T, we were talking about the Maple Leaf players and the ability or in the past, it's been the lack of ability to elevate in the playoffs and play at the different level than they've never done before. And each of the last few playoffs, we've seen McDavid and Dry Cytle do that on a nightly basis.

When do you think it clicked in for them that in order to have success in the playoffs and I believe it was a few years back where they just went they just they just started to go nuts against the LA Kings and it was a completely different level and it's been different from then on in. Like what do you think happened with those two where they found that gear? Well, experience and the realization, I think the simple realization that being a superstar in this league is exhausting. We're counting on them every night to drive the bus.

When I think back at some of the teams I played on and the commitment level of, you know, Marc Messier in New York was incredible in 1994. And you know, you just, there's really nothing else when you commit yourself to that level. And those guys, I don't think there's a guy that's more driven in this league than Connor McDavid and Leon's a close second behind and those guys want to win and that's where all the fun is, is in winning and that's where all the glory is when your career is over and you assemble again with your teammates and so forth that you've won with and these guys I mean Connors somebody told me a

story about Connor the other day that I don't I'm sure it's true but that his mother would said he never really had that much of a childhood I mean he was always super mature at a very early age and he's always had, you know, an intense focus. And lately we've seen shots of him, you know, getting caught, having some fun during the game. Normally you didn't see too much from him, but he's enjoying the process. And, you know, for anybody that saw you know how affected he was last year when the Eulers didn't win game seven you know what the drive factor is and you know a lot of the things going into this series

look to favor Vegas but the superstar factor is sternly in the Eulers hands and those guys they have the ability to win games individually. With Craig Metavish ahead of game one tonight in Vegas and you mentioned you know Vegas a really good team big defense they've won a Stanley Cup recently you know it's easier said than done you got it obviously everyone's thinking you got to stop McDavid you got to stop dry-subtle clearly that's going to be a part of their plan and Bruce Gassety will be advocating for that but what else do you think Vegas would be attacking here when it comes to Edmonton like besides trying to make life uncomfortable for the two best players how else do you see Vegas possibly

overcoming the challenge that could be the Edmontett and Euler starting tonight? Well, I think their strategy would be they're a big heavy team not only on the fence as you mentioned but up front too as well and I think they're going to be attacking the net super aggressively and trying to put as much pressure as they can on Cal Pickard who's really been incredible. Surprisingly, Cal to me when I watch him play is really good on in tight plays. That's not necessarily a strength of a goalie that's of average size or maybe slightly below average, but he's super competitive and he seals the bottom of the net really well on tight plays. So he's got that going for him going into the series.

He's really turning into a lightning rod for the Oilers and being an inspiration for the team. How can't you be inspired when you see a guy that is an underdog like Cal and puts in that type of effort? He's absolutely fearless out there. And what people maybe don't know is he's a really gifted skater. Noodles would know this, of course, but he gets side to side very well. So any of those slot line plays that the Oilers can be vulnerable to give up, he's very good

at getting side to side and stopping those. But I would think they're going to try and put a lot of physical pressure on him. The downside of an undersized goalie is you can't stop the ones that you don't see. So I think they're going to be the net front is as it always is but in this series in particular it's gonna be a battleground. Yeah it's a great point Mac T you know statistically with seam passes side to side because he's a great you know got a good lateral push he was nine for nine in that series where Stuart Skinner gave up five goals on eight seam passes. So, you know, that might be something that's,

you know, that the Oilers identified. But where I wanted to go with this is at what point, I mean, you're sitting there in the building watching this at one point, at what point did you believe it's like, okay, it's enough with Skinner, they've got to go with Pickard because it seems like the team changed and really galvanized around him? Did you just sense it or was it a gut reaction by Knoblok? I think based on the first two games, the coaching staff had very little choice than to, because as you know, like people, they don't understand the amount of pressure that is on the goalie and Stu Skinner is an unbelievable person, but you can't help but read a lot of the

things and when you're struggling, I mean, it's difficult. Third-party advice is easy to the goalie that tells Stu, don't worry about it, don't read anything. But, I mean, when it's your name being bandied about and, you know, he's a good guy, he's feeling somewhat responsible for the situation the Oilers were in. And then, I mean, your confidence starts to go and when that happens it's time to let somebody else in the net have the goalie coach step up and work with Stu and I think if Cal Pickard does struggle at times in this series, Stu will

be much more mentally ready to step in there and do the job. But it's a lot of pressure and it's really the only position on the team where you're vulnerable to choke. I mean, playing, everything's so spontaneous, you're just reacting. But goaltending, more contrived motions, side to side. I mean, when your confidence goes, I can't help, but think you're seeing two or three pucks coming to you and it's a difficult position to play. And there's so much focus here in a smaller market team in Edmonton on not only the team, but the

goal-tending. Matt, what's the wild ride like watching that deep airing of Nurse and Bouchard, our host here, Brian Hayes is fascinated with these guys. Every time they step on the ice, there's some excitement going on. What is that roller coaster like with those guys? They can make things happen all over the ice. Well, you've got to take the good with the bad.

They both have a lot of good and a lot of things that they add. And Darnell's had a really good year this year. I mean, he's playing at a much higher level than he has at any previous point. Bouchard, I mean, games three and four, where he, I mean, he was under a lot of heat too after games one and two. And then he comes out and, where he, he, he, I mean, he was under a lot of heat too, uh, after games one and two and then he comes out and, uh, you know, pretty much single-handedly turns a

series around with two goals in game three and two goals in game four. He made that unbelievable check on, uh, on by field when I mean, you know, I mean, you, you just, you gotta get that puck out into the neutral zone. I think we saw it in the St. Louis game too when Bush Nabish took the shot on the, on the empty net. And one thing that playoff hockey does is it teaches you that the hockey gods punish stupidity and selfishness mercilessly. And when you don't get that thing out and

You're thinking whether he was or not I mean, it's it's hard to say but when he was if he was thinking to chip it by and hang on to it and try And get an empty netter. I mean that that comes back to get you and those That's I mean that's part of the experience that you get when you when you play a number of games in the playoffs Absolutely. Well, it's go time starting tonight game one in Vegas. We've got game one Washington playing Carolina tonight into the second round It's it's great time of year to talk hockey. It's been great catching up with you. We appreciate you doing this, Craig Thank you. You too pleasure guys. You got the enthusiasm high. That's our plan Always is thanks for doing this. There is Craig McTavish Pleasure, guys. You got it. Keep the enthusiasm high. That's our plan. Talk to you later. Always is.

Thanks for doing this. There he is, Craig McTavish. New. Nostalgic. Unmistakably Canadian. I want a look in my eyes and you can tell that's true. Made in Canada delivers 100% homegrown hits. All day, every day.

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