The Edmonton Oilers have long built their identity on big runs, playoffs and never missing a season because they have the two best players in the world. They’re the kind of team that finds its feet when the calendar turns, and usually after a kick in the teeth that wakes them up and provides clear evidence that what they’re doing isn’t good enough.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl do not given to each other “the look” yet, but you have to wonder when the Oilers will reach that point this season.
Through the first stretch of games, Edmonton has gained some points in the standings, potentially masking some troubling patterns and stretches of really good play. Inflated leads and inconsistent efforts through 60 minutes have become a problem and Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars was just another example.
Edmonton took a 2-0 lead in just over seven minutes of play. They took another lead, 3-1, with just over 12 minutes left in the third period. They controlled the game for two periods… and then settled down late. Just 24 hours earlier, the team did something similar to the St. Louis Blues, losing with 1:23 left in regulation time.
Against the Stars, the Oilers once again gave up a two-goal lead before losing in a shootout. It was the sixth time this year that the Oilers failed to close out a game they once controlled.
When will the oil companies stop giving away points?
“We learn from these situations,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game, “but we have to start finishing.” Referring to the fact that this team has new faces and younger players are working to some extent. Now in November, that excuse doesn’t really apply.
Finishing – or failing to finish – has become Edmonton’s defining early-season problem. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to produce, but their games aren’t perfect. Evan Bouchard is elite when he’s at the top of his game. He’s nowhere around now. They are all prone to making mistakes with the puck and turnovers have been a part of their game lately. What sets them apart from the rest of the team is their ability to produce far more good than bad.
The rest of the team doesn’t have that luxury, but often pretends they do.
That’s where reputation comes into play. After two deep playoff runs, there’s a growing sense that the Oilers believe time is on their side — that a midseason slump can be remedied later. Once you have McDavid and Draisaitl, you’re never out, and many players on this team seem to believe that things will inevitably change.
That has been the case in the past. Maybe it will be like that again.
Unfortunately, in a Western Conference where the margins are razor-thin and assume a late surge if the team doesn’t show the kind of solid play that suggests wins will come while doing the right things, time is already running out. This isn’t to say the Oilers can’t get hot, make a run and remove any doubt. However, there’s no real sign that they’re playing well enough to expect that to happen anytime soon.
The Oilers are giving away points and while there is no point in panicking, their lack of urgency seems confusing.
The Oilers’ challenge now doesn’t prove they can play like contenders; everyone knows they can do that. What the Oilers need to show is that they have the desire to flip that switch now. There is truth in the idea that just getting into the playoffs is enough. After all, home ice advantage no longer means what it used to and coming in gives a team like Edmonton a chance.
That said, walking in and playing bad hockey on the way to a playoff spot is a recipe for disgust. If Edmonton doesn’t rediscover its killer instinct soon, they risk making bad habits harder to break.
Next: “Float of trades” comes as D-Man returns for Oilers
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