The Edmonton Oilers were finally back at Rogers Place for a rematch against the Dallas Stars after spending the last two weeks on the road and closing out the trip with a 3-3-1 record. You would think sleeping in their own beds and not living out of suitcases would help the boys play with some jump, but instead, the Stars walked right through them to the tune of an 8-3 beat down. It was ugly. It was tough to watch. It was over before it even started. First game back after a long road trip, huh? I guess we probably should have seen this coming.

If you’ve watched the Oilers long enough, you probably remember more than a few C.F.R. road trips in November when the rodeo would be at Rexall Place and the boys would be out on the road for ages. The trips would be a slog, travel schedules were intense, and the exhausted Oilers would finally get back home only to get stomped in their first game back. I don’t know if that’s just an Oilers thing, but it turned into a core memory that’s stuck with me for two decades. And in the first game back after the Oilers’ longest road trip in 12 years, the best part of the night was when it ended. Not exactly the homecoming we would have liked, but in a weird way, last night’s disaster against the Stars almost felt like home.

Even if you can understand being wiped after a seven-game run over two weeks that bopped across states and featured a pair of back-to-backs, it was fair to hope for a show. Instead, we got another beatdown on home ice in front of a packed house that had next to no reasons to cheer outside of Connor Clattenburg’s first NHL goal and the occasional t-shirt toss. There was even less to cheer about for the fans at home, though, they did have the luxury of changing the channel and doing literally anything else with their time without getting hosed for the 2025-26 ticket prices. Wiped or not, the Oilers need to do more than Weekend At Bernie’s their way through 60 minutes and expect good things to happen.

It’s going to be a long week. With the goalie talk at an all-time high around here, there’s nothing like giving up four goals on eight shots to quiet the noise. And even with the objectively true argument that the team in front of Stuart Skinner didn’t do him any favour with their lacklustre execution and sloth-like energy, the problem with being the last line of defence is that you too have to defend. Stu did not defend well, and I say that fully acknowledging the laundry list of grade-A chances that happened in front of him. Even when the team isn’t playing like shit, it’s his job to cover up the mistakes and posting a 4 GAA and a .500 save percentage doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Unfortunately, things didn’t go much better for Calvin Pickard in the 40 minutes he played in relief.

While the Oilers were definitely “better” in periods two and three than they were in the first, it’s hard to celebrate giving up two more power play goals and two more goals at even strength. From start to finish, the Oilers were second-best at everything. But even if the argument is that the skaters in front of the crease were as sloppy as we’ve seen all year, that still doesn’t negate the fact that we also need more saves than we’re getting. Whether it was Skinner or Pickard, we didn’t get enough saves. Period. If you’ve been on social media lately, it’s impossible to ignore the graphics floating around that show the Oilers sporting the lowest save percentage by goalie tandem in the NHL, and we’re getting to the point where the noise has to be taking up major time at the OEG offices.

I don’t know how much longer Connor Clattenburg will be up with the big club after being recalled on the weekend, but it’s hard not to feel good for the kid after the way he’s made an impact in limited ice time. On Saturday in Sunrise, Clattenburg played with some spice and was ready to square off against anyone who was willing. The fight never came against the Panthers, but that spirit of going out and making the most of the opportunity continued against the Stars. He may have only played 12:58 — nearly triple his total against the Panthers — but used that time to score his first NHL goal on a hard-working play in front of the crease while also throwing seven hits and blocking a shot. Whether he sticks around for a while or not, it’s hard not to be impressed by the first impression.

For a fifth-round pick who was taken 160th overall at the 2024 draft, this is exactly the kind of storyline you love to see. Clattenburg isn’t supposed to be here yet. This is his first full season of pro hockey after four years in junior between the Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds, and kids in that spot, drafted that late, don’t usually earn a look with the NHL lineup and look like they deserve a second look. Yet here he is, doing the simple things right, finishing every check, going to the net, and playing with the kind of enthusiasm this team desperately needs right now. Maybe he’s only with Edmonton for a quick trip, maybe he’s even back in Bakersfield by the weekend, but if these first two games are any indication, Connor Clattenburg is doing everything in his power to stay in Edmonton as long as possible.

Wake up with Ryder and Lisa on The Sauce! Your new chaotic morning show streaming live from 8-10AM MST every weekday on Oilersnation YouTube starting Monday November 3rd. It’s unpredictable, unfiltered, and totally them. Like, follow and subscribe to never miss an episode!