Well, well, well, guess we are back in doomsday mode after another disappointing loss in a game the Edmonton Oilers should have won. The Montreal Canadiens, heading into the game tied for 30th in the league with 14 points in 16 games, should have been a team this Oilers squad would beat. That couldn’t have been farther from reality.
Montreal shut the Oilers out, making it the third time in 19 games that Edmonton has been held scoreless. Not what one would expect from a supposed offensive powerhouse.
The Oilers played mostly well early on, but failed to capitalize on numerous early power plays and left the door wide open for the Canadiens to take the lead late in the second. They did not look back and from that point on, controlled play.
A few things stood out (in a bad way) from this game, so here are four takeaways from the Edmonton Oilers’ loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Perimeter play
When you look at the shot differential at times in this game, hitting 21-10 in favour of the Oilers late in the second, you’d think that Edmonton would have been dominating the game, right? Well, not quite the case.
The Oilers were once again having trouble breaking into high danger areas. Lots of their play was kept to the perimeter of the offensive zone and attempts to drive the net to create chances or rebounds in the slot were negated by either an errant pass or the Canadiens getting in the lanes and tying up the intended recipient.
This has been an ongoing issue with plenty of contributions from all over the lineup.
One key part is a frequent lack of mobility in the offensive zone from the Oilers. Whether it is a systems issue or a player agility issue is open for debate. With stationary players on offence, it becomes insanely easy for a defending team to box out the Oilers from the slot and prevent them from utilizing cross-ice passing lanes (that we know Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl use often with great success), from generating second chances and rebounds, and even from getting their long distance perimeter shots through to the net.
The team is missing something, some level of aggression or offensive drive, or the confidence that they carried through most of last season. And they need to figure it out quickly.
Skinner already falling out of favour in the Oilers’ lineup
Jeff Skinner was viewed as a good signing for the Oilers. High reward, low risk. His playstyle and shot should have made him a great fit on the top two lines. But that has not worked out in the slightest thus far. For the game against the Habs, Skinner found himself on the fourth line in an 11 forward-7 defencemen lineup composition with Derek Ryan.
He has slowly been sliding down the lineup as the season has progressed, and any time he gets bumped back up, it never lasts more than game (if it even makes it that long).
In six of the last seven games, Skinner has played less than 13 minutes, clearly showing he does not have the confidence of the coaching staff. And prior to this stretch, he had just three goals in 12 games. Now, it’s not like the team’s offence as a whole was doing well and Skinner’s lack of production stood out. But at the same time, he has not done much to justify a regular place higher in the lineup.
At this point, he has already found himself on the trade bait board as the Oilers look to improve at forward, particularly adding speed, and clear up cap space for a different add elsewhere or to allow Evander Kane to return when he is healthy.
Overall, this experiment has not worked out.
What is going on with Bouchard?
Evan Bouchard is having a week he would love nothing more than to forget. He ended up being possibly the biggest contributor to the loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. And, tonight, found himself looking lost on the first goal against while handcuffing himself offensively and not looking like the number one right defender he was turning in to last season and even earlier this season.
What is happening for him and why is he all of a sudden struggling to contribute offensively and regressing back to his early career defensive abilities?
His poise and composure seem to have taken a hit and he finds himself trying to force plays offensively, possibly to counter the overall offensive struggles and taking on too much responsibility for turning it around. Which we saw in the brutal giveaway against the Maple Leafs on the tying goal against.
Bouchard’s visible effort level is in question at the moment with his controller disconnecting moment on the breakaway goal against the Leafs and in this game against the Canadiens where he is found to be in floating mode not really covering anyone or any lane in particular.
The team as a whole is struggling, but at the moment, it seems Bouchard’s mistakes are being amplified and putting him in the spotlight, and not in a good way.
With the injury to Darnell Nurse and the continued struggles on offence and with the goaltending, the situation is primed to be a pivotal moment in Bouchard’s development. Unfortunately, right now, it has not been a positive experience for him.
Once again, let down by the goaltending
The goaltending situation for the Edmonton Oilers is hitting a crisis level of concern. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard came in and saved the day (for the most part) last season. But so far this year, they are by far the worst tandem in the league and have cost the Oilers several important points in the standings and an immeasurable amount of momentum within games.
Case in point, this game against the Habs. The Oilers were dominating the shot category through two periods, holding Montreal to 14 shots. But at the end of the second, a low danger shot in good visibility with a tip found its way through Pickard. Killing any momentum the team had as the Canadiens controlled play from there. Edmonton’s hopes were further dashed by another goal that should not have gone in off a shot from just past the faceoff dot.
Pickard entered the season with amazing vibes around him after his stellar performance in the playoffs helped keep the Oilers alive en route to the Stanley Cup Final, earning a new contract this past offseason. But with how the season is starting for both goalies, questions are being asked around if this was the right move and if the team should have gone after a different goalie to play with Skinner.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
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