Before calamity struck on Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers were looking the best they have all season so far. Despite being heavily compromised in the power play due to the absence of Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers acclimated quite well, going on a five-game winning streak.
However, the team fumbled big time on home ice against a desperate Vegas Golden Knights, but head coach Kris Knoblauch is unwilling to attribute the loss merely to the absence of Zach Hyman and Draisaitl.
Kris Knoblauch Shares His Take Following Edmonton Oilers’ Loss to VGK
The Oilers are top of the Pacific Division with 87 points and, of late, have played with a kind of fervor they have not displayed for the most part this season. Entering Rogers Place on Saturday to take on the Golden Knights, Edmonton was riding the wave of five consecutive wins, but against a relentless Vegas, it failed to have the last laugh.
Carter Hart was the hero of the game. The goaltender did an impeccable job, making 31 saves. Jack Eichel also stood out with three assists.
The Golden Knights were hungry for redemption, having lost six of their past ten showdowns. The last time the teams met on March 26, the Oilers took the win in overtime, but on Saturday, the Oilers cut a sorry figure in contrast to the Golden Knights, delivering one of their most forgettable performances of late. With this defeat, the Oilers have three losses in their past ten games.
In the aftermath of the 5-1 loss, Knoblauch refused to pin the defeat on the absence of Draisaitl and Hyman, noting that the Oilers could have played better offensively against the Golden Knights. The Oilers’ offense, against the team’s defense, has always been the redeeming element. Yet, against Vegas, Edmonton managed to score just a solitary goal.
“We only generated one goal, but you know, I thought we probably should have maybe had a couple more chances, goal posts, just missing the nets, so maybe we could have generated a little more offensively. But I think the story was just the chances we gave up off the rush,” Knoblauch said, looking back on the team’s performance.
Knoblauch further acknowledged that a five-game win streak may have made the Oilers a little complacent. They may have entered the arena with a lot of confidence, but failed to take into account the little details that can make or break the game.
“When things are going well, you forget about those details… you’re just maybe overconfident, get a little bit lazy or whatever it is.” However, the Oilers HC added that those issues are “easily fixable.”
The Oilers are definitely feeling the heat of Draisaitl’s absence. But with Hyman also expected to miss the next few games of Edmonton’s final regular-season road trip, Knoblauch will have to tweak a few things to get the Oilers back on track and keep the Anaheim Ducks at bay in the Pacific.
