VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks try to burst the Oilers' bubble -- and put some air back in their own -- when they host Edmonton on Friday night.
The Oilers (6-1-0) are off to their best start to a National Hockey League season since 1985-86, when they won their first five games, and are riding a four-game win streak. On the other hand, the Canucks (4-2-1), are reeling from three straight losses after starting the campaign with four consecutive victories -- a feat that they had not matched since 1992-93.
Clearly the Oilers, with sophomore sensation Connor McDavid, 19, leading the way offensively and as captain, have developed a new attitude after missing the playoffs for 10 straight seasons.
"I think (players) are believing now in their game and, thus, feeling more confident about it," Oilers coach Todd McLellan told reporters in Edmonton this week. "It's each individual showing up with his toolkit and being ready to work, and that's where the confidence comes from, where the swagger, the wins come from. They don't just happen by accident. If you keep doing that, your belief system goes up and you believe you can come from behind and play with leads, and that is what we are working toward."
The Oilers displayed some of their new belief Tuesday night as they broke open a tight game in the third period and thumped the Washington Capitals -- a team expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again this season -- 5-1 in Edmonton. The strong start is a good omen because history has shown that games lost at the beginning of the regular season can spell a team's downfall at the end. Now, the Oilers want to continue riding the winning wave.
"We have a lot of work to do but this start is huge for us," said winger Benoit Pouliot, who is in his third season with the Oilers. "The last couple of years, we haven't had great starts, and it's tough to climb back. Now we just have to keep this going."
Meanwhile, the Canucks, who were blanked 3-0 at home Tuesday by Ottawa, are looking to end a habit of slow starts. Despite the success in their first four games, the Canucks are struggling because of a lack of scoring. Averaging two goals per game, they have constantly been forced to try and play catch-up.
Accordingly, the Canucks do not want to fall behind too early against McDavid and the rest of the potentially explosive Oilers.
"That's a team we have to play tight against," Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin said. "We know the speed they have. When they are up, they are going to keep coming at you. It's very important to get the first goal against those guys. It could open up a lot of room for us."
Ultimately, the game could prove to be a depth test for both clubs. Although McDavid is in early contention for a league scoring title with four goals and seven assists, Edmonton has also been able to count on the likes of fellow forwards Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Milan Lucic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot.
But the Canucks are searching for offensive consistency as highly touted free-agent signing Loui Eriksson continues to struggle. Eriksson, who signed a six-year deal worth $36 million, has yet to score a goal while playing wing on the top line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin -- and elsewhere at times, although he has four assists.
In addition, a number of holdovers have been slow off the mark, and Vancouver is starting to run into some injury woes with veteran winger Alex Burrows sidelined with an undisclosed lower-body issue and defenseman Chris Tanev out with an ankle problem.
The Canucks promoted winger Mike Zalewski from their AHL farm team in Utica, N.Y., on Thursday. But Zalewski, who has only one assist in five games with Utica, is not slated to play against the Oilers.
He figures as a bottom-six forward who can also kill penalties, but lacks the offensive firepower that the Canucks need.
Second-year winger Jake Virtanen, 19, is someone who could provide a spark, but has been used sparingly. Virtanen expressed some frustration this week about his intermittent activity, but has done little to suggest that he deserves more playing time. Coach Willie Desjardins is opposed to using him on the fourth line -- the only place where he might fit regularly at this point -- and wants to put him in situations where he can produce.
However, Virtanen might not have to wait long for more action if the Canucks fail to put air back in their bubble soon.
