A couple of big wins so far this week for the Oilers.

Things hadn’t been going the team’s way — some defensive issues, tough time scoring — but they got a bit of everything they needed against the Senators.

Connor McDavid got a beauty, which we all knew was coming. Isaac Howard scored his first NHL goal, which is awesome. And Jake Walman returned to the lineup and ripped the overtime winner. Stuart Skinner was strong again. I think he’s been more consistent this year. Even in those losses, there were major defensive breakdowns and low shot volume, which is tough on a goalie. He’s stuck with it, made big saves, and helped get the group feeling good.

After that, Edmonton returned home and picked up another win against the Canadiens on Thursday. Hopefully, they keep it rolling this weekend. Now, let’s get into some questions.

Great question. Ryan’s a good friend. He lives about 20 minutes from me here in Minnesota. He’s humble and a hard worker, which is exactly what Edmonton fans love. He did everything: scored, hit, killed penalties, stood in front on the power play, and even dropped the gloves if needed. And he did it with that long hair flying. I still hear fans talk about him when I’m back in Edmonton. I don’t think he realizes how much he meant, to be honest. We became fast friends when he got picked up on waivers, and we ended up in side-by-side hotel rooms. I’ll send him this and make sure he knows.

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re scouting opponent tendencies, keep it current — same season, as close to the game as possible — because rosters, lines, and systems change. Personally, I didn’t watch a ton of opponent video outside of some power-play looks we’d cover as a team. Most of my filming was self-study. There, you can cast a wider net, even into previous seasons, but not so far back that it doesn’t reflect who you are now.

Video is a massive tool, both for playing and for coaching. With my goalie development work, it’s huge for showing clips of what you’re doing, what needs tweaking, and what “right” looks like. Late in my career, consistency came from catching negative trends early. Sometimes you’re winning, and little habits start slipping. If you spot them on video, it becomes one off-night instead of a slump.

The schedule’s changed — no All-Star last year, none this year — but when we had the break tied to the bye week, most guys got a solid week. The Olympic break is even longer, which lets you travel a bit, grab some sun, and reset. Do guys have fun? Sure, but everyone knows where the line is. Sometimes you come back to a practice and then a game right away, or just a morning skate and a game, so you can’t be feeling like garbage for three days. In an 82-game grind, it’s rejuvenating to get away, then ramp back up so you’re ready to go.

I’m not superstitious. I learned in junior that you need to be flexible. There are long winter bus rides with late arrivals, and you can’t throw away a start because the routine wasn’t perfect. I do like routines, though. Every whistle, I’d take a drink, tap my posts a certain way, do a loop, tap again. It wasn’t mandatory, it just made me comfortable.

On game days, I loved the morning skate when I was playing a lot: stretch, get 15-20 good shots in a 45-minute skate, then my own on-ice sequence for eyes and edges. After, I’d use Normatec for recovery, watch some video with Bob Mason in Minnesota, relax, then head to the rink. Nothing crazy, just creature-of-habit stuff that settles you in for a high-stress job.

That’s it for this episode of Ask Dubey. Hopefully, the Oilers stack a few wins and we start seeing the depth contributions we’re looking for. Send your questions with #AskDubey on social or drop them in the comments. If we don’t get to yours this week, we’re banking them for future shows.