If the Edmonton Oilers wanted to announce the colors of their Stanley Cup contender from the start this season, they completely missed their chance on Wednesday in Vancouver.
Unrecognizably, Connor McDavid’s band received a powerful message from the Canucks, who humiliated them 8-1. After picking up an assist, number 97 ended his miserable evening with a -4 difference, the same as striker Evander Kane. In front of the net, goalkeepers Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner presented identical but frankly poor statistics: four goals allowed on 16 shots. In short, this is not the result we can expect from a team favored by several observers to win top honors.
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“I’ve seen a lot of lost battles. The things in our game that we are normally known for weren’t visible. In terms of intensity and execution, head coach Jay Woodcroft estimated that it was at the preseason level, as the Sportsnet network reported. Many things were inadequate. You saw it, our players and coaches as well as the managers. It is not enough.”
“Everyone in the locker room was excited for the first game. We were there preparing for the game and this was the result. “It sucks,” said former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Brett Kulak, who watched Brock Boeser score four goals for the winners.
Little to say
Obviously, the Oilers will want revenge on Saturday when they host their tormentors from Game 1. McDavid appears to have retained most of his arguments for his return to action as he struggled to justify his team’s shameful defeat, although the loss of full-back Mattias Ekholm (hip injury) was a significant detriment. Still, the team had a full camp with eight exhibition matches to prepare for the season.
“We let both guys down tonight,” he said of the club’s goalkeepers. I don’t know how to explain this start to the season.”
“We have to learn from it. We want to look at what went wrong so we can be ready again. We’re playing on Saturday and we’re excited to be home and play against these guys. It will be an opportunity to rehabilitate.”