Despite the much-publicized awful start to the 2023–24 season that had the Edmonton Oilers tied for the league’s basement spot with a 2–9–1 record, they still had the most successful season in nearly two decades for this franchise.
So, if it worked once, why not try it again, right?
It certainly seems the Oilers are on a similar trajectory to what happened last season with how they’ve stumbled out of the gate for a second consecutive season.
A 6–0 stomping at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets followed up a couple of nights later by an uninspired 5–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Not the way the team that lasted until Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals four months ago wanted to start this Cup-or-bust season.
What is going wrong for the Oilers?
The team is doing their best Decade of Darkness impression early on. There are massive question marks on defensive depth combined with less chemistry than a bad date off of Tinder.
The concern that many of us had while analyzing the roster moving into the season was the defensive depth. And that has immediately turned into a problem. The presumed second pairing on defence of Darnell Nurse and Ty Emberson lasted less than one game before the blender came out to swap him with Travis Dermott on the third pair.
Is that really enough time to properly evaluate a new defensive pairing while one of the two adjusts to a new system and a new partner? Probably not, but neither option was (or is) proven in that big of a role and it was a risk to run with them.
Watching the team struggle against the Blackhawks, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back, was painful. Minimal pressure, minimal engagement, minimal urgency. Come to think of it, has anyone mentioned to them the absurdly lengthy preseason is over?
A common theme through the game was a lack of chemistry. Passes going to no one, even from some of the best passers in the league like Leon Draisaitl. Special teams taking almost the entire game to wake up, with the first power play goal of the season coming around the halfway mark of the third period.
It is jarring to watch the penalty kill struggle after how thoroughly the PK was able to dismantle and stifle every opponent in the playoffs. They just gave up three powerplay goals against Chicago and are 1/6 on the season. The penalty kill is, not the power play. Just to be clear.
#OilersPositives?
Are there any positives to write home about early on? Luckily, yes!
This game against Chicago was Brett Kulak’s 500th career NHL game, a great career marker for him. And, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recorded his 700th career NHL point on the third period powerplay goal.
Additionally, newcomer Viktor Arvidsson has been probably the lone bright spot from the entire team in the first two games. His effort and drive is noticeable and he has already developed a reputation through the eye test as a high energy and tenacious forward who charges directly towards his check or the net.
That’s about it, though.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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