`LETHARGIC' PLAY DRAGGING OILERS DOWN
Long winning streak a thing of the past as Edmonton struggles to find consistency
Who are these guys?
You would think, five months into a season, that you'd have a pretty good idea what a hockey team is all about.
But 55 games into what was supposed to be their push for a Stanley Cup, the Edmonton Oilers remain a mystery. One minute they look like Joe Biden getting off a Tilt-a-Whirl and the next they look like Donovan Bailey in full stride.
Are they the team that put together a 24-3 mid-season rampage from late November to late January? Or are they the team that's gone 9-17-2 in the other 28 games?
Are they the defensive masters who allowed just 18 goals against over a 14-game stretch during their winning streak? Or are they the lost and disjointed group that's given up 42 goals in their last 10 games?
Can they stand pat on their goaltending, or is Stuart Skinner, who's given up five, six, three, five and four goals against in his last five starts, starting to fade?
Are they the team with enough scoring depth to have 11 different players pot game-winning goals during a 16-game run, or is it back to being the two-line team that's seen Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl factor in on 27 of their 37 goals since the All- Star break?
These are all of the questions that are all going to be answered — some of them before the trade deadline in less than two weeks and others when the bullets really start to fly down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Right now, with just four wins in their last 10 games, the only thing we know for sure is that the Oilers need to be better on just about every front. Whether it's mid-season boredom, a post-winning streak hangover or the simple ebbs and flows of a long season, they are losing momentum rather than gaining it.
“There's no Stanley Cup champion or successful team that hasn't had a lull during a season, but good teams shorten these,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We're getting to the point where it's long enough and we have to improve.”
All teams hit little ruts — these are human beings, not robots — but there is a big difference between losing a game and the steaming pile of what we saw in the first period against Calgary. Or managing just six shots on net in the first period against Minnesota. Or being outscored 18-7 in the second period of their last nine games.
What we've been seeing recently points to a lack of focus, to a team unwilling to play its game for an entire game.
“There's no concern in the room,” said 37-goal scorer Zach Hyman, always a calming voice of reason in situations like these. “This is just what happens during a long season, but at the same time you've got to nip it. You can't let what happened at the beginning the year (2-9-1 and a fired coach) happen now.”
This is a team that has already come back from 31st place this year, so there is no reason to believe they can't figure things out. The Oilers have long made a living out recovering from near-fatal nose dives.
“Since I've been here it feels like this team always proves doubters wrong when our backs are against the wall,” said Hyman. “We're still in a good spot, we're still playing good hockey since we've been back, it just hasn't been consistently good as it was before. We just have to get back to doing it the right way.”
As for Skinner, Knoblauch believes his save percentages of .833, .833, .880, .828 and .895 in his last five outings are as much a reflection of a team straying from its defensive foundation as it is about his own play.
“We're a step behind,” said the coach, adding the Oilers' attention to detail is slipping and they need to play with more urgency defensively. “We've got good intentions but we're a bit lethargic. It's leading to more room and space for the other team to make plays.
“Through the winning stretch, our goaltending was outstanding, they covered up a lot of mistakes. Our defensive play was better, but so was our goaltending. Right now, both can be better.”
Skinner had the third best numbers in the NHL during Edmonton's 16-game winning streak but it's hard to be the same goalie when the team is leaking oil in front of him. He can't do anything about Edmonton's team defence, so he'll focus on what he can do better.
“I still have a job to do,” he said. “Either way it starts with me. Either way I have saves to make and I'm not doing that right now. My goals against the last two games feels like 100, but that's the way it's going right now.
“For myself, it's managing the emotions of it. You feel frustrated with the results but ultimately I can't do anything about it now. What I can do is look at what I can do to improve.”
There's no Stanley Cup champion or successful team that hasn't had a lull during a season, but good teams shorten these.