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The Day After 58.0: Oilers need to do some soul searching during three-week break

Photo credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The NHL’s Olympic break couldn’t come any sooner in Edmonton.
With Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames, the Oilers are now mired in a three-game losing streak and have just one regulation win in their last eight games.
The latest version of the same old problem?
The penalty kill can’t stop anything. If the Oilers take a penalty right now, there’s a very good chance they’re going to get scored on.
Guess how Calgary opened the scoring in the fourth and final Battle of Alberta yesterday? Evan Bouchard took a tripping penalty two minutes into the first period, and Jonathan Huberdeau ripped a shot past Tristan Jarry from the faceoff circle.
Any idea how the Flames scored their second goal later in the first? Spencer Stastney was called for tripping, and, under one minute later, rookie Matvei Gridin was sprung on a breakaway and ripped the third goal of his career past Jarry.
In all three losses during this skid, the Oilers have surrendered two goals on the man advantage. Over that span, they’ve killed off just two of eight opposing power-play opportunities.
Edmonton and Calgary traded goals in the second and third periods, and the visiting team briefly clawed back into it. Connor Zary made it 3-1 midway through the second, Leon Draisaitl answered on the power play to pull the Oilers within one, and Kasperi Kapanen tied the game early in the third. But the push was short-lived, as Ryan Lomberg restored his team’s lead just minutes later, and the Flames held on for the win.
Coming off an eight-game homestand that was supposed to stabilize the season, the timing couldn’t be worse. Instead of heading into the Olympic break with momentum, the Oilers limp into it with the same issues that plagued them earlier in the year.
Whether it’s the penalty kill not being able to kill penalties, defenders looking lost in the defensive zone, or goalies not being able to stop anything, some version of the same problem has been recurring in Edmonton for quite some time. The Oilers are paper-thin defensively and they can’t keep the puck out of their own net.
This team ranks second in the league with 198 goals scored, but they’re 26th with 191 goals against. While they can score their way through their problems during the regular season, that won’t be the case come playoff time.
The Olympic break offers a reset, but it won’t solve structural issues on its own. When the Oilers return, they will need answers on the penalty kill, in their own zone, and in net. With the margin in the Western Conference thinning and playoff matchups looming, Edmonton no longer has the luxury of assuming those answers will simply show up.
What they said…
Head coach Kris Knoblauch on the Oilers taking a losing streak into the Olympic break…
“It looks like we need a little break right now. We can reset. We’ve got time to refocus and make adjustments. The coaches will have a chance to evaluate what we want to do. We’ve got a mini training camp coming back with about a week to go, so we can really focus on the things we need to get better at and any changes we want to make.”
Goaltender Tristan Jarry on how the Oilers will spend the upcoming three-week break…
“We have to use the break. That’s the whole point of it. Most of the team will be here, so we’ll be able to establish some good practices and get some rest. It’s a reset, and when we come back, we’ll be able to work on things we might not have had time for with the condensed schedule. Ultimately, I think it’ll do everyone good.”
Jarry on his own performance against the Flames…
“It’s tough. I think I could have made some more saves. If I keep that game at two, I think we come out with a better outcome. I could have played better at the start, and that’s something I have to be better at moving forward.
“It starts with me. I need to be more accountable. If I play better and stand in there strong for these guys, I think we’ll get better results. It starts with me.”
Knoblauch on the four goals Jarry allowed…
“I don’t think there was anything bad about [Jarry’s] game tonight. We gave up four. The first one is a really tough screen. On the point shots, there’s a puck bouncing around, and the other one was a breakaway. I don’t think those were bad goals.”
Calgary goaltender Devin Cooley on getting redemption against the Oilers…
“It was honestly really fun. It’s a lot more fun when it’s not a blowout, especially in a rivalry like this.
“The last time I played these guys was with San Jose and we lost 9-1. That wasn’t fun. Those are the games where you’re thinking, ‘Get me out of here.’ I’m glad I was able to get some redemption and that tonight went a lot better.”
Flames winger Ryan Lomberg on Calgary heading into the break on a high note…
“We wanted to end on a win, and what better way to do it than against those guys. It’s the Battle of Alberta, the best rivalry in hockey. It’s always easy to get up for this one, and obviously I love scoring on them and watching them lose.”
“We’re a different team. We’re not the same team. We’re not as good right now. We’re not even close, and we need to understand that.
“We’re not consistent enough. This league’s too hard to just lollygag through games and try to flip a switch. You’re never going to win if you have four or five guys going. It starts at the top. We can be better, our leaders can be better, and we’ll take the break and regroup.”
Up next…
Most of the Oilers will now get a three-week break as the NHL pauses for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will represent Canada and Germany, respectively, while the rest of the roster gets a chance to reset. Edmonton will return to action with a road back-to-back against the Ducks and Kings on February 25 and 26.
Breaking News
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