The Edmonton Oilers have returned to the path of defeat, and if they want to maintain a logical chance of making the 2023 playoffs, they had better get back on their feet by the National Hockey League holiday season.
The Alberta team delivered another poor performance on Tuesday, losing 3-1 to the New York Islanders. As a result, they suffered their third defeat in a row, having conceded 15 goals in this sequence. With a record of 13-15-1 and sixth place in the Pacific Division, the urgency to act is very real. First we have to get back to the .500 mark, but this requires much more sustained performance.
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However, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their ranks, the Oilers have the tools they need. They recently proved that by winning eight games in a row. Despite everything, hope remains alive.
“It's not the ideal time. “We need wins and points now,” said defender Mattias Ekholm to the “Edmonton Sun” daily newspaper. As was the case here [mardi], it's not pleasant and it's sad. We need to take the next step quickly and move forward. We still have two games left before Christmas and these are crucial games for us.”
Non-special units
The problem in Edmonton these days is special teams. Against the Islanders, McDavid's team gave up twice due to the numerical penalty, while the power play was terrible. He failed in all four of his appearances, including in a five-on-three situation. The Oilers also conceded a goal in their massive attack.
“During our eight-game winning streak, we never lost the special teams battle,” recalled head coach Kris Knoblauch. I think we outscored them five points to five. However, it was a night where we were beaten on the power play and in the shootout, which doesn’t normally happen.”
The instructor wants his squad to return to success, and this is all achieved through the superior performance of his guards. Stuart Skinner in particular will continue to struggle in 2023-2024. Even though he has a record of 11-9-1, his stats aren't great, as shown by his .884 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average.
The club's next two duels will be difficult at first glance. He will visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday and the New York Rangers the next day.