The Edmonton Oilers’ season are off to a less-than-ideal start, dropping their first two games in the new campaign. Getting blown out 8-1 was bad. Losing 4-3, was somehow almost as bad because the Oilers had a chance to win this game and, in many ways played really well, but couldn’t find a way to finish off the Canucks. This is something they are absolutely known for doing.
While the final scoreline doesn’t inquire about the “how,” it’s evident that a 0-2 start is far from what they had hoped for and their first two games have shined a bright light on some key issues that the team will need to address if they don’t want to turn a two-game streak into something much longer. The players said after the game that they felt they played fairly well as a group, but it’s a “matter of tightening up those little details”, said Mattias Ekholm.
In their second outing, goaltender Stuart Skinner wasn’t terrible, but he certainly wasn’t up to the task of competing with Casey DeSmith, who was incredible for Vancouver. The Canucks’ backup goaltender made an impressive 37 saves, guiding his team to back-to-back surprise wins against the powerful Oilers. Skinner let in four goals on 16 shots. He felt he played well enough and said the “numbers lie”, but he knows the team has to find a way to pull out the win.
The Oilers’ defense was, once again, not up to par. Mattias Ekholm was back in the lineup for the Oilers, but he appeared to be grappling with the lingering effects of a nagging injury. He got burned on the Sam Lafferty goal — which credit to Lafferty was a strong move — but it was unlike Ekholm to get beaten in that fashion. There’s a clear struggle among their defensive lineup, with Ekholm still adjusting due to his limited playtime. The hope is that he gets better with time.
What truly plagued the Oilers, however, was their inability to seize momentum and maintain control of the game. At a crucial juncture in the match, they made untimely mistakes that allowed Vancouver to seize the momentum, turning the tides in their favor. In the first period, the Oilers surged ahead quickly, but Vancouver, displaying resilience, weathered the storm. Edmonton’s lack of shots in the final eight minutes of the period ultimately cost them, as Vancouver came back to tie the game at two, followed by an Oilers’ defensive lapse, allowing a two-on-zero that handed the lead back to the Canucks.
The third period saw the Oilers squander a two-man advantage, which could be deemed the final blow to their chances. With Vancouver securing two early victories over the Oilers, it’s evident that Edmonton faces an urgent need to rectify their shortcomings.
This Was Better, But It Was Not Enough
Head coach Jay Woodcroft noted:
“I think the big thing for our team that I personally wanted to see was a response. There was a lot of good things in our game. We’re not in the moral victory business, I know that, but I saw a response. I saw us way more competitive. We’re not there just yet, but I think in any game you have 88 shot attempts, 41 on the net, you earn seven power plays, you give up 16 shots on net, you expect to win those games. It didn’t happen that way for us tonight, but I think you win that game more often than you lose it.”
h/t to @zjlaing for the quote
In conclusion, Edmonton’s goaltending woes persist, illustrated by the four goals conceded on just 16 shots, indicating the pressing need for more reliable goaltending. While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl put up respectable numbers, the Oilers have to recognize that they need to address their defensive and goaltending issues promptly to break the cycle of before a two-game losing streak turns into an actual problem.
Next: Auston Matthews Makes Statement with Back-to-Back Hat Tricks
