Oilers take relaxed approach facing elimination: 'There's no pressure on our end'

EDMONTON — Zach Hyman was up big in a playoff series last spring.

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens know what happened next.

Duncan Keith, meanwhile, and his Chicago Blackhawks were down 3-0 to the Vancouver Canucks back in 2011 before triumphing in a trio of must-wins to force Game 7.

At the tail end of their first seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, both men know the climb their current team faces is a daunting one.

The Colorado Avalanche have captured the first three games of the Western Conference final, and have four cracks at advancing to their first title series since 2001.

The task for the Oilers at home Monday night is simple — win a game.

"Everybody's counting us out, so there's no pressure on our end," Hyman said Sunday. "All the pressure flips to Colorado. They're expected to win now.

"For us, it's just about getting one and then go from there."

The gritty winger, who signed with Edmonton in free agency last summer, and the Leafs were up 3-1 on Montreal in the first round just over 12 months ago before the Canadiens roared back with three straight victories — including two in overtime — to stun Toronto in seven.

"A lot of guys in (this) locker room have either been up or down heavily in series and seen a swing," Hyman added. "I got a first-hand view of it last year. I don't think anybody gave them a chance to come back in that series, and sure enough, they did."

Hyman saw a straight-forward formula on the other side.

"It's hockey — you're not knocked out until you're knocked out," he said. "You've got to continue to plant that seed of doubt. It starts with one win."

Keith and the Blackhawks' comeback against Vancouver in the first round more than decade ago ultimately fell short — the