Edmonton Oilers coach Mike Babcock delivered a candid assessment of his team's performance following a thrilling 6-5 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

The victory came two days after Edmonton defeated the Minnesota Wild on Evan Bouchard's overtime winner. Thursday's triumph improved the Oilers to 8-1-1 as a terrific start to the 2026-27 season continues.

Despite securing the win, Babcock emphasized that Edmonton still has important lessons to learn, particularly when facing adversity against strong opponents.

“I thought this was the best opportunity for our team was to play them tonight,” Babcock said afterwards, according to NHL.com's Gerry Moddejonge.

“For me, it was like a gift. We've got a lot of lessons there today, and then I think you build off those lessons. And we have to learn to be way more resilient. When we bend, we can't break like that. You've just got to hang in there.”

Although the Oilers emerged victorious, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way with five-point performances each, their coach appeared more interested in what the difficult contest revealed about the team's ability to handle pressure.

The defending Stanley Cup champions provided a demanding test, forcing Edmonton to play from behind on multiple occasions.

After making the comeback, and with nothing doing in overtime, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the shootout winner to give the Oilers their third consecutive victory.

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Still, Babcock's emphasis on resilience also suggested that winning alone would not satisfy the coaching staff if Edmonton continued experiencing costly lapses.

The Oilers will look to continue a phenomenal start to the campaign when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town on Saturday night. The Leafs have also won each of their last three games.

With the superstars leading the charge, Edmonton is now first place in the Western Conference, and showing no signs of slowing down.