The Edmonton Oilers have everyone thinking the worst after another rough beginning to the season.
Last season’s slump to begin the season led to a new coach and a waived starting goalie, but that came after more than a month of struggles. That said, it’s time to wonder whether three losses to begin the year are putting the Oilers on the same route as last year.
Glancing at the first three games this year versus the first three last year offers some intriguing information. In both cases, the Oilers started poorly with a record that wasn’t where they wanted to be, considering it was a “Cup or bust” mentality among the group.
This season, the Oilers are 0-3-0. Last season, they got off to a 1-2-0 start. In 2023-24, the Oilers were blown out by the Vancouver Canucks 8-1 in the first game, and they lost again to the Canucks 4-3 before beating the Nashville Predators 6-1 in the third game. The key here was the goals scored by an offensively potent Oilers group. With 10 goals, there wasn’t as much of a reason to panic.
This year, the Oilers scored three goals in three games. Granted, two were called back, but it’s clear the offense isn’t clicking. As such, it’s logical the coach has decided to shuffle up the lines, loading up Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman for a game versus the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
The good news is things are likely to turn around. Despite their low shooting percentage of 3.19 percent, the Oilers lead the NHL in 5-on-5 shot attempts and scoring chances per 60 minutes, according to naturalstattrick.com. The goals will start to go in.
Unfortunately, the goals against have remained consistently underwhelming. This season, Edmonton has allowed 15 goals against, compared to 13 last year. What’s most alarming about this is that Edmonton was a much better team defensively under Knoblauch as the 2023-24 season came to a close.
This new defense isn’t meshing well. Gone are Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg. However, the Oilers can’t use that as an excuse, considering Desharnais and Broberg weren’t making an impact at this time last season.
These conceded goals result from poor two-way play by the forwards and lackluster goaltending. In both years, the save percentage among their goalies was inexcusable. This season, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard are a combined .783 through three games, compared to Skinner and Jack Campbell combining for an .859 save percentage to start last season. It’s a huge issue for the Oilers that must improve to turn things around. No line juggling at the forward position will not solve this problem.
Related: Three Mistakes Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch Should Avoid That Past Coaches Didn’t
The Oilers, as a whole, need to commit to playing a 200-foot game. They must help their goalies out by limiting Grade-A chances against them and playing the style that made them successful in the playoffs.
A lightbulb went off last season when it was almost too late. The Oilers can’t afford to wait that long this year to experience their “Ah-ha” moment.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
Related: Oilers’ Calvin Pickard Embraces Being A ‘Locker Room Guy’ With Boosted Confidence In Net
News Summary:
- Comparing The Oilers' Start: A Year-Over-Year Look At Their First Three Games
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.