Oilers' Brown isn't letting goal drought sap his confidence

It's black and white for Connor Brown when you've gone 45 games without a goal.

Colour him somewhere between discouraged and disbelieving.

This is a man who hasn't scored this season and it's been more than 1,100 shifts since his last goal, against the Boston Bruins on March 24, 2022, if you're keeping score. Clearly, the Edmonton Oilers winger isn't, but somebody came up with that sobering stat the other day — one more slap across the head after what seemed like such a strong free-agent signing last July.

His struggles bring to mind those of long-ago Oiler Jaroslav Pouzar who, when asked about his lack of goals, pantomimed a sawing motion of both hands. “Just cut them off,” he said. Brown, who has played 493 NHL games, isn't about to go that far.

But you better believe this is wearing on him as the Oilers roll on — he had four shots on Jeremy Swayman in the 6-5 OT loss to Boston on Wednesday and had a late third-period 2-on-1 that didn't work out. So, while the Oilers are 20-4 over the last two months, he is stuck at zero with 29 games left.

“It's been tough, obviously ... I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't coming here to make a difference,” said Brown, not ducking the issue or hiding from interviews.

After signing with the Oilers July 1, with resounding hopes of bouncing back smartly from an Achilles tendon tear in the fourth game of the Washington Capitals' season in 2022-23 — and with a desire to be an offensive contributor on a team with his junior friend Connor McDavid in search of a Stanley Cup ring — it's been a horror show for a guy who's had two 20-goal seasons.

His health wasn't where he wanted it to be at the beginning of the season, certainly understandable after being out for a calendar year after the injury.

Everybody cut him slack with a slow start and, as he says “in practice my hands and my feel, I feel good.” But it's now February and he's the only regular who hasn't scored.

“I've been in this (not scoring) multiple times in my career. Obviously not to this extent, but I had them in Toronto and back to my minor hockey days in Ottawa where I felt my game was working against me,” he said.

This is looking a whole lot more mental than physical.

“For a month and half where we were winning games I felt I was playing good hockey, on the penalty kill and on the fourth line and contributing to a lot of wins. I think I've created a lot in that role. But I've had eight years in this league, 20 goals, once on pace for 30 (21 in a 56-game season),” he said.

“I take pride in scoring goals. I've been a scorer at every level for many years. I still have the same skill set ... I'm back to where I was. My quickness is there. I feel good, 16 months into the injury. I don't have a lack of confidence in my ability. It's about finding the groove, finding the flow, trying to play free. It's about the ability to read and react.”

Oilers winger Sam Gagner has gone through major ups and downs, too, so he can empathize with Brown.

“We believe in Brownie and believe he'll find his way out of this. I mean, he's had 76 shots. Has anybody else done that (without a goal)?” said Gagner. “Coming back from an injury, if it doesn't go quite right out of the gate, it affects your confidence. But Brownie's been a model teammate through all of this, comes to the rink with a smile on his face.”

Playing with Mattias Janmark on a fourth line, they had a stretch of 12 straight games without giving up an evenstrength goal. His penalty killing has been strong for the most part, although the team PK has tumbled (11 goals allowed in the last 24 attempts). He's rattled the iron several times. But he has just four assists.

Going into the Bruins game Wednesday, he had played 55 minutes even strength with McDavid. He's played 140 minutes five-on-five with Leon Draisaitl. He's played 135 on a third line with Ryan McLeod and Derek Ryan (89 minutes) on the fourth.

With a US$775,000 cap hit this season, the Oilers can live with that.

But the elephant in the room is that $3.25 million bonus on the books next season for playing at least 10 games this campaign, as we all know.

Athletes are bred to not let the outside noise get inside their head. But ...

“Of course, I've been tested this year. It's been a huge test,” he said.“I'm sure people have counted me out, but I believe I have the game in me.”