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Clips and Quotes: Edmonton Oilers fall 4-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights

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Photo credit:Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
2 years ago
Well, that wasn’t much fun.
The Edmonton Oilers had the Vegas Golden Knights come to town and the game barely looked close. BaggedMilk has the wrap up here.

The Clips

The Quotes

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Nuge on allowing goals off the rush: “It’s something that we know we need to take care of and we’ve been working on it. Tonight we let it slip a bit. First two are basically two breakaways, 2-on-0. It’s tough on Schmiddy.”
On looking like a different team tonight vs. pre-asg: “I think we were working. We made the bigger mistakes and they capitalized on the mistakes. we were pushing early and even the second period, we couldn’t find a way to beat Brossoit there. It’s frustrating to come off a break and start like that, but at the same time, we play tomorrow. There’s no time to dwell on it. We know we can be better at limiting our mistakes and move on here.”
On not falling back into frustration mode: “Obviously being able to fight out of a stretch like that and putting on a winning streak is a positive thing for our group. It shows the character in our group. This is just one game. We finished off that road trip before the break well and we were working hard. tonight, there was no lack of effort. Like Zach (Hyman) said, it’s a few mistakes and a lack of execution that cost us. We know we have the group to bounce back quickly. We have to show that and bring it tomorrow.”

Zach Hyman

On it being a measuring stick game: “We played them twice before and beat them twice in vegas. We’re a really capable team, but in the standings, it’s a divisional game, we’re chasing them and have games in hand. That’s a big one. you don’t want to lose that one, but I think we’re really confident in our group. It was a sloppy game I think from us and we got better.”
On the Oilers’ start: “I thought our start was good. I thought there was a lot of almost plays: we just missed on a play, or you’re a half-second away and your timing was a bit off. Those half-second plays lead to chances and goals. I think we were just a bit sloppy in that sense and our execution on certain plays weren’t there. That’s how you give up a breakaway and a 2-on-0 and odd-man rushes. Those odd-man rushes come from lack of execution, and those things can happen.”

Dave Tippett

On the game: “I thought our execution wasn’t near what it needed to be tonight. from puck-moving in our own end, to getting up the ice, to passing up some shots and net drive stuff. Over passed it, overlooked and the execution wasn’t near at the level we needed to be at.”
On what he attributes that to: “I don’t know. the five days off or whatever it is, for whatever reason we just uh… part of it, vegas they come at ya hard, they’re a hard forechecking team. First shift of the game Bouch turned it over twice and they got two chances. You just got to be solid with the puck. You know it’s going to be a hard game. Time and space is going to be at a premium and we didn’t do it enough tonight.”
On the powerplay: “Well, we’re -1 on it so that’s not ideal.”
On any particular reason it wasn’t clicking: “Probably a little bit of it all. There’s opportunities when you get the puck to the net, you had some opportunities and didn’t finish them.”
On Mike Smith: “Well, we gave up some grade A’s. He had a 2-on-0, the first one’s a 2-on-1. We got to get him back up and going. Third period I thought he battled, made some good saves in the third period. First one in a while for him. We got to get him up and going.”
On changing up lines: “You’re looking for someone to give you a spark, jump out there. But we got down early in the game and you’re chasing the game. They were playing a solid road game and you’re chasing the game. You’re trying to find somebody to give you a spark, but we didn’t find it.”
On the Oilers’ dzone play: “I think a lot of turnovers that led to quick chances against. You look at the 2-on-0, the 2-on-1, and you look at how many chances when we turn the puck over, I think Barrie turned it over once more, Bouch turned it over there, Nurse turned one over in there. You’re giving chances away. Your forwards are taking off thinking you’re going, and the pucks not getting to them, you’re going to end up giving up some chances in your own zone. That’s what happened.”
On changing defensive pairs: “Yeah, we’ve thought a lot about it.”
He said we may see some against Chicago, “but we’ll see.”

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.

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