The Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup aspirations have taken a significant hit following three consecutive blowout losses since returning from the 4 Nations break.
After allowing 17 goals in three games against teams that are known to be high-scoring clubs, the Oilers have had no answer defensively, and their line juggling isn’t working. That led to a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, a 7-3 loss to the Washington Capitals and a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Now, as they get set to take on the Florida Panthers in a rematch from the Stanley Cup final, there will be real questions about their desire to win if they can’t get up for that game.
Why the Oilers have been so bad of late is shocking. This team is much better than they’ve shown.
Here are three concerns in their game.
McDavid’s Slump Raises Alarm Bells
One of the biggest red flags for the Oilers is Connor McDavid’s recent struggles. The superstar center, typically the engine of Edmonton’s offense, has posted a concerning minus-7 rating over his last three games and has failed to record an even-strength point in that span. He’s passing up shot opportunities as well.
The Oilers have long relied on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to carry the offensive load. But with only Draisaitl producing consistently, the team must find a way to keep the minutes of these two players to a manageable level, particularly McDavid, who plays a more free-wheeling and exhausting style.
Draisaitl Carrying The Load Alone
Leon Draisaitl continues to play well, scoring his league-leading 43rd goal of the season on Tuesday night. His dominance on the power play is evident — since 2018-19, he has scored 40 more power-play goals than any other player. He’s doing all he can to drag his team into the fight.
Despite his elite production, he lacks a reliable winger to complement his game right now. During the last loss, he seemed to focus on getting Matt Savoie involved rather than making the best play. Other attempts to find him a linemate haven’t worked. Viktor Arvidsson isn’t improving. Jeff Skinner was a healthy scratch again. Vasily Podkolzin’s game has tailed off.
The Oilers on paper had so much depth, but it’s become clear that depth isn’t as prominent as originally thought, and the Oilers have too much of one type of player.
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