What happened: The Oilers coach pointed to a style of play he believes can hold up from night to night. He also said the club still has work to do as it moves through the opening stretch.

Why it matters: That matters because Edmonton is still in the preseason, where structure and repetition tend to matter more than the scoreboard. It is also the first extended look at Babcock behind the Oilers bench after his June hiring.

What to watch: The next few preseason games will show whether that template holds once Edmonton starts layering in cleaner execution. The main watch is whether the same habits keep showing up over a larger sample.