Evander Kane on Oilers' Stanley Cup Playoff run

playoff statistics with the Oilers in 45 games for a Vander Kane 20 goals 10 assists Power Play points game-winning goals shots Galore and his first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance as Evander joins us now on set good to see you congratulations on this point in your uh season but when you when you think back of ENT of everything you've been through a veteran in the NHL finally making your first Stanley Cup Final appearance what has this experience been like for you yeah it's been great um obviously you want to get there as soon as possible I had to wait 15 years um you hear guys talk about how you know you get there in the first two years you never see it again um so you want to make the most of your opportunity when you do get here and I think everybody's of the same mindset how was the week off for you I know you we won't get too far on how you're feeling but you've been dealing with some stuff for much of this year not quite 100% healthy was the week off good for you physically to get somewhat better even if you're not going to be all the way to 100 yeah no um usually I'd be the one complaining about all this big time off in between series but uh this time I was very happy about it so um it's been it's been really good for me to have a week off uh before game one uh tomorrow night and hopefully I'll be ready to go kind of a crazy year this year the ups and the Downs of this team I mean you go from it's the first half of the the season and then that ridiculous run and and then just kind of going through the grind of the playoffs like what is there anything different with this team that you learned this year just as the mental fortitude if you will yeah no I agree I think um a lot of guys over the last three years um we've had different experiences and it's been essentially you know the same core guys and you know when we went through the beginning of the year struggles um we knew we were not a bad hockey team um we just had to go out there and prove it not only to ourselves but everybody else and like you said we put together an AK winning streak a 16 game winning streak uh dug ourselves out of an incredibly deep hole uh to get us back in a position where we expected to be um and now we had to get to work and understand we got to be able to beat really good teams on a consistent basis to to be a cup contending team and we did that and um here we are I think a lot of people realized that you guys were way better than what your record was to start the season but you did make the coaching change when noblock Chris noblock came in um more than sort of just turning the page on the slow start you know what what sort of change that allowed you guys to to go on the run to get back to where everyone thought you would be to beginning the year you know I I think when he first came in um you know he had a different demeanor a different approach uh than what he did um and and sometimes you just need a change uh for the sake of a change and I and it worked obviously we're here in the standing Cup finals I think the biggest thing was you know also us as individuals performing better on the ice um in all areas of our game offensively in the net defensively um and and obviously kner had a slightly different system in the defensive Zone that I think everybody really took to um and it's created us it's created an opportunity to us to be one of the best defensive teams in the league can you talk talk a little bit about looking ahead to games three and four obviously the fan base up there in Edmonton I mean tell give us a glimpse of what we can expect because it's been so fun to watch the energy in that building outside the building Canada as a nation just so excited to have a Canadian team back in the Stelling Cup Final yeah obviously um it's tough to look ahead to games three and four uh when we got game one tomorrow but I think you know obviously understanding we're going to have that opportunity to be in front of our home fans in a Stanley Cup Final in a city like adinton uh is pretty special I've been here for now uh 3 or 4 years and to see the support that we get from our home crowd um I know everybody back home is itching to get in the building and and and get ready for game three but you know we're as a group obviously looking forward to game one tomorrow we uh the media we're always talking about how physical this Panthers team is you guys got some physical guys too you being probably the the front runner in that category um you know is that something when you get into a series where you're just like all right you can let everybody do their talk and we'll be out here and you know you guys play the game hard too I think that's overlooked coming into the series for sure I I I think you know we're a team if you look at guys throughout our lineup that can play that game I think we got over a handful of them we got at least a half a dozen guys that can play that sandpaper game that are willing to fight not that there's going to be a lot of that in the sley Cup playoffs but we got guys that play that game that's a big part of their game and um you know you even look at our top guys look at Connor I mean there's very few guys that can push him off a puck there's very few guys that can push Leon Drell off a puck um so we are a physical group um we maybe just go about a little differently I one more to Johnny just on that note I have to say this while you're talking about I remember last year remember the the pet the Petro tomahawk chop to to Leon and I remember thinking to myself without hesitation Conor's right in there like what does that do when you got the best player in the world he is not looking around what should happen here he's not looking for you to do something he gets in there well what it does is it sets an example that there's no excuse for not getting in there for a teammate no matter who you are or or or what happened um you know when you're Captain who's the best part in the world is getting into a scrum well you go down on the bench that's going to be the requirement of everybody and and that's real leadership so we're on the Eve game one like what's your night like you sleep well tonight what do you what's your focus going into the game tomorrow like like where's your head at for just game one tomorrow Stanley Cup Final been a long time coming for you yeah no I mean we're just going to get through today get through the rest of this meeting session um that's very no you know this has been the best one so far that's for sure um but yeah no I you know my parents are flying in I think they landed an hour or so get a new dinner with uh them tonight and just relax and and try to make sure I'm feeling as good as possible for tomorrow well you're looking good you brought the Florida attire you have a you have a game one arrival suit prepared or outfit there was a little bit more preparation put into the entire uh for this road trip for expect different well done Evander great to see you here in the Cup Final uh have fun this series and best of luck to you thanks for joining us awesome thanks guys