The Edmonton Oilers home ice offered no refuge on Saturday night as the Colorado Avalanche ran rampant in a 9–1 blowout at Rogers Place.
The Oilers, who entered the night hoping to jump back at top form after three days off-the-ice, instead looked outmatched at every turn. Despite the on-ice evidence, head coach Kris Knoblauch was deliberate in defending his goaltending.
Kris Knoblauch shields his goalies despite worst loss in 16 years
The 9–1 loss at Rogers Pace was in fact the worst margin of defeat for the Oilers in 16 years since a 10‑2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Jan. 2009.
Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 13 shots on the night before being pulled for Calvin Pickard, who surrendered five more on 21 shots. Yet, Knoblauch refused to single them out.
Asked directly if belief was slipping when it came to the goaltending, Knoblauch tried to diffuse the idea. “I don’t believe so,” he said. “There’s been games where our goaltending has been good. The chances and the amount of chances we’ve given up has not helped. I see a lot of bigger issues than our goaltending.”
That’s a diplomatic answer and a necessary one given Stuart Skinner’s struggles on multiple occasions this season but it speaks for the fact that the Oilers’ defensive play isn’t insulating their goalies.
Against Colorado, two early wrist shots without traffic found the back of the net and the numbers bear it out. Edmonton’s goaltending tandem of Skinner and Calvin Pickard owns a combined sub-.872 save percentage, but the quality of chances against has been among the league’s worst.
Knoblauch singles out turning point in the game
Kris Knoblauch shared that the team came into the night optimistic. The Oilers had a crisp morning skate and for a few early minutes against the Avalanche, it looked like that might carry over.
“After the first goal, there’s a lot of deflation, especially after the second one off the face-off,” Knoblauch said. “After that, a lot of guys beating themselves up and not playing very well… not looking like a very cohesive team.”
It was a telling admission givn Edmonton’s confidence, so often fragile in poor stretches, vanished within minutes. Once the Avalanche pushed, the Oilers couldn’t respond exposing a team disconnected in both structure and mindset.
Oilers aren’t ‘even close’ to Contenders, says Knoblauch
The bluntest moment came when Knoblauch was asked whether this loss revealed how far the Oilers are from elite competition. “Absolutely. Absolutely. We’re not even close,” he admitted.
It’s a stark acknowledgment of the gap between expectation and execution. The Avalanche are a benchmark team built on pace and predictability, the very things Edmonton has lacked.
“They’ve been going pretty well. We haven’t,” Knoblauch added. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
That honesty might sting, but the Oilers can no longer rationalize earlyseason struggles as bad luck or rust. They’re chasing teams that look far more cohesive while Edmonton seems to be still searching for its identity this season.
Oilers locker room frustration prevails
With only six wins through 16 games, Knoblauch didn’t hide the emotional toll. “Everyone’s frustrated,” he said. “When you’re underperforming and not playing well and losing, it’s a drag. It’s a grind.”
Pressed on whether it’s still “early,” his answer was telling: “We’re starting to get into that time… I think we’ve only played probably a handful of games out of those 16 that looked like what we expect.”
At this point, the Oilers’ problems go beyond systems. The coach pointed to both individual and collective accountability with too many players “not playing to their identity.” Whether it’s physical edge or consistency, the pieces aren’t connecting.
Knoblauch summed it up simply. “That starts with the coaching staff… making sure everyone’s getting ready to play.”
For a team built around McDavid and Draisaitl, Saturday’s 9–1 loss may indeed mark “rock bottom,” as Knoblauch put it. The question now is whether it sparks the course correction Edmonton desperately needs, or becomes the moment that defines how far this group still has to go.
If McDavid would ever learn to shoot at the top half of the net he would be much more successful than trying to stuff the 5 hole.