GDB 7.0 Wrap Up: Losing streak hits four games as Oilers get blanked by Rangers
8 months ago
What a brutal game.
On Thursday evening, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the New York Rangers. There were not three-goal blown leads like three of the last four games in the series, as the Rangers soundly defeated the Oilers 3-0.
It was the first time the Oilers had been shut out on the season. They’re now 1-5-1.
THE WRAP UP IS PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Things worth mentioning…
Warren Foegele has by far been Edmonton’s best depth piece this season, and he has played well alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. He uses his speed and he’s been effective on the forecheck, so that’s good at least.
Stuart Skinner had a solid game between the pipes for the Oilers. He made a huge save in the first period to keep the score 0-0 when things were tight and ultimately stopped 29 of 32 shots. You can’t blame the goalie for this one because you aren’t going to win many games without scoring a goal.
The Oilers only had two power plays but couldn’t generate anything on them. After a historic year on the power play in 2022-23, Edmonton’s power play ranks eighth in the league at 28%. It’s a great number and only slightly lower than last season’s percentage after seven games, but it just doesn’t look as lethal.
It’s clear that without Connor McDavid, this team is floundering, and even with him, the team was struggling. With no cap room remaining, this is something that they’ll have to sort out internally before it starts to become a major issue.
In fact, it’s already starting to look like a push for the Pacific Division crown is getting out of reach. Reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are already 11 points ahead of Edmonton. There’s plenty of time to make up those five and a half games, but how either team is trending, it’s not looking good.
The Oilers will take on the Calgary Flames at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday at 5:00 PM MDT. This will be Edmonton’s first outdoor game since they took on the Winnipeg Jets in 2016, so that’s going to be fun at least.
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