The Edmonton Oilers are not just looking to make a deep postseason run; they want to win the championship. The team has come so painfully close to winning twice in a row, only to be slain by the Florida Panthers.
However, a shutout loss to the Panthers and a 5-2 defeat by the Tampa Bay Lightning have necessitated a critical analysis of the Oilers amid a playoff push.
Chris Pronger Delivers Brutal Assessment of the Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ position in the standings has recently taken a hit, as they have slipped from second to third in the Pacific Division. They will meet the Utah Mammoth on March 24.
Going into the showdown, the Oilers will be coming off a two-game losing streak, while the Mammoth’s latest game ended in a victory. The Oilers are definitely not feeling secure enough regarding their postseason odds yet, and every game coming up has the potential to make or break playoff hopes.
MORE: NHL World Maddened by Never-Seen-Before Details of Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten-Brandon Carlo Trade
However, the large margins by which Edmonton has recently lost games are concerning. In highlighting the most pressing issues the Oilers face in their playoff push, Chris Pronger even went so far as to assert that, from an outsider’s perspective, the team’s defense appears in shambles.
Pronger also stated that there is no way that a formidable offense can compensate for a shabby defense. “From an outsider looking in, they look very disjointed defensively. They look, at times, disinterested. To me, it looks like they think they can score their way out of their problems all the time. As we know, in the playoffs, that’s not always the case,” Pronger stated.
Amid all the problems that have plagued the Oilers, defense and goaltending have certainly been the issues most aggressively highlighted and discussed.
At this point, it has become clearer than ever that Tristan Jarry was an inadequate response to the Oilers’ longstanding goaltending problem. Jarry has registered an SV% of .883 at Edmonton, while Connor Ingram has a .890%.
However, Jarry must never be singled out for the dip in his numbers. The goalie was playing significantly better with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season. A mere goalie swap was never the answer to the Oilers’ struggles.
As many have repeatedly underscored, the defensive situation must turn for the better. The front office brought Paul Coffey back into the coaching fold to address the situation, but it has yet to yield results.
Also Read: Tristan Jarry’s 4.17 GAA Leaves Oilers With No Choice but to Start Connor Ingram
Pronger also argued that the Oilers are still discovering their identity and their game. As critical as such considerations can be, it is nonetheless concerning to hear that Edmonton has just gotten around to doing this at such a late stage of the season, when the focus should be solely on winning games.
The Oilers ought to feel the added pressure to win, as Connor McDavid’s contract extension is like a ticking time bomb. The best player in the league is lacking a Stanley Cup, and as eager as he might be to win one with the Oilers, there could arrive a day when he decides to take his aspirations elsewhere.
