Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch gave the fans screaming for accountability on Evan Bouchard an early Christmas gift on Monday night.

With just over eight minutes left in the first period, Knoblauch had seen enough of his $10.5 million defenceman and parked him on the bench until the second frame. Bouchard took an unnecessary retaliatory penalty after the puck was gone, stunting what had been a positive opening 10 minutes for the Oilers.

Columbus capitalized on the power play, taking the lead in a period Edmonton had otherwise controlled. Once again, Bouchard’s decision-making halted the Oilers’ momentum in a game they desperately needed to win. His benching likely stemmed from more than that penalty — he’d already had two shaky shifts earlier in the period that featured turnovers from bad positioning and lazy puck play.

It wasn’t the first time Knoblauch had sent a message. Darnell Nurse faced the same treatment against Utah a couple of weeks ago and responded with one of his better games of the season, scoring twice the next night against the Rangers. It hasn’t led to consistent success for Nurse — but that’s another story.

Knoblauch’s right — Bouchard did respond well.

He logged 16:47 over the final two periods as the Oilers steadied themselves and secured two much-needed points. Bouchard picked up an assist on Connor McDavid’s second goal, which the captain acknowledged with a point of appreciation during the celebration. But Knoblauch’s praise wasn’t for the points — it was for Bouchard’s poise. He kept his offensive instincts without sacrificing structure and improved his decision-making.

The spotlight on Bouchard is almost always defensive — but that wasn’t the story this time. He showed extra jam, winning races to pucks, engaging physically, and closing out space around the net. His stick was active in lanes, breaking up passes and deflecting shots away from danger. From the start of the second period onward, Bouchard was on the ice for just five shots against — most of them harmless dump-ins on Skinner for line changes. Columbus had only one half-decent look, and it came at four-on-four.

The Blue Jackets carried the play in the second, but Bouchard wasn’t the problem. The puck rarely lingered in Edmonton’s zone when he was on the ice — it went in, and it came right back out.

Ironically, Bouchard’s “worst” moments came on the power play, when a couple of passes went astray. Outside of that, his game was sharp — quick, precise puck movement to the forwards and a few well-timed shots on goal. His plays are subtle and often go unnoticed, mostly because of how smooth he makes them look. It’s funny when people complain that he only produces with McDavid and Draisaitl — maybe that’s because he’s good enough to play with them.

Bouchard’s issue isn’t skill; it’s confidence.

Knoblauch has said repeatedly he won’t restrict Bouchard’s creativity. He wants him to make plays and play freely, even if that means the odd turnover. The real issue is effort — or at least, the perception of it. Fans see the calm, casual style on TV and mistake it for disinterest, which is understandable.

He’s not an elegant blueliner like Zach Werenski, who looks smooth and dynamic. Bouchard is understated — efficient to the point of appearing nonchalant — and that aesthetic drives fans nuts. But that’s who he is. His style isn’t changing, and that’s partly what makes him such a polarizing player in Edmonton.

He’ll never win everyone over, but he’ll earn more respect if he limits the costly mistakes — like he did against St. Louis. Turnovers happen, but lapses in effort won’t fly with this fanbase. Hopefully, last night’s benching serves as a turning point.

Evan Bouchard is an excellent playoff performer. Now it’s time for him to bring that same edge and consistency to the regular season.

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