The Edmonton Oilers found themselves on a bit of a run coming into Thursday’s matchup with the Florida Panthers, going 4-1-1 in their last six games, but they would need another strong effort if they were going to keep the good times rolling. Even though the Panthers are well out of the playoff race at this point, it was still fair to expect a big night from the defending champs. As it turns out, the shorthanded Panthers came ready to play and gave the Oilers more than they could handle, cruising to a 4-0 shutout win.

I think I need to read more. Maybe then I’d come up with new ways to describe how annoying it is to watch the Oilers let a strong start to the game turn into a two-goal deficit. Hockey is a cruel game sometimes, and that was certainly the case after Edmonton came out blazing, couldn’t cash in their opportunities, and eventually wound up down two goals when they could have easily been up. The Oilers missed at least a couple of golden scoring opportunities, passed up more than a few chances to shoot, and, as the first period wore on, they looked more like they were playing not to lose than to win.

In the back half of the frame, the ice tilted the other way and the Panthers started to take over. Despite missing a bunch of their best players, they were first to pucks, throwing the body around, and looking like they were more geared up to play than the home side. It was almost confusing how the Oilers went from pressing hard in the first few minutes to taking their foot off the gas entirely. Put another way, one team outworked the other and it wasn’t particularly close at times. I know writing two paragraphs about another bad start by Edmonton, but I think it’s fair to expect more urgency from a group that had (and blew) a chance to take over first place in the Pacific Division.

Given the magnitude of the moment and the importance of the points, I was expecting Edmonton to be way more dialled in than they were against the Panthers. There are only 12 games left in the regular season, and by no means do the Oilers have their spot locked up. According to MoneyPuck.com, last night’s loss bumped Edmonton’s playoff odds down to just over 80%, whereas a win would have put them up over 90%. Missing an opportunity to kick a team while they’re down was a disastrous result. Maybe I’m being overdramatic about yet another loss to the Panthers, but it’s hard not to be frustrated that the team took a step back after looking pretty solid in the last two games.

Adding insult to injury was that this was the 11th time in 12 attempts that the Oilers had lost what would have been their third win in a row. I don’t know what it is about the Oilers’ inability to win three straight this season, but it is one of the most insane stats in what has been a very trying year. Toss in the shutout for Sergei Bobrovsky, and you’ve got the makings of a night where we all would have been better off spending those three hours doing literally anything else. At the end of the day, the Oilers were the second-best team on the ice and got the result they deserved. We can complain about the special teams, goaltending, giveaways, defence, or anything in between, but it’s impossible to win if you can’t score, and it sure did look like our side was fighting ghosts more so than they were interested in playing a winning brand of hockey.

If you were looking for even more great news out of last night’s loss, Trent Frederic left the game after the second period and did not return. While we didn’t really see what happened or what caused him to leave for the night, losing yet another guy felt like a kick to the shin that none of us needed after watching the boys get blown out on home ice again. As much as it’s true that Frederic’s season has been anything but encouraging, I also think he’s been playing his best hockey since the Olympic break, and it sucks that the guy is going down again just when it seemed like he was starting to turn the corner.

At this point, it doesn’t make sense to guess or speculate what happened to Freddy or how long he’ll be out of the lineup, but the last thing this team needs right now is for another player to miss time. We can say whatever we want about his contract and that he only has six points on the campaign, but Frederic was a big piece of a fourth line that was starting to make some noise, and it would suck to have to go back to the drawing board on that trio again. Even though it may not be the popular opinion around here, I’m cheering for the guy to SIUTBOHC and be the contributor he looks like he can be now that he can skate again. Here’s hoping for some positive news as the day chugs along.

Edmonton hockey fans — think you and your crew know playoff hockey? Prove it at the Nation Playoff Draft Party on Friday, April 17th at the River Cree Resort & Casino. Build your playoff roster, compete against other teams throughout the postseason, and battle for $2,500 cash and Nation bragging rights.

Team entry is $1,000 for groups of 8, which includes dinner and your first bevy. The night will be hosted by Ryder & Lisa from The Sauce and Tyler & Liam from ON Everyday, so expect plenty of energy, competition, and chirps. Spots are limited — sign your team up now at nationgear.ca. All proceeds from the event support KidSport Edmonton, helping ensure local kids can stay in the game.