The Edmonton Oilers dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, marking back-to-back losses as they prepare for the playoffs.
Despite the setback, Edmonton remains firmly in second place in the Pacific Division, and the bigger storyline from the game centered on the health of Connor McDavid.
Oilers Coach Brushes Off Injury Worries Around Connor McDavid
Concern surfaced when McDavid appeared to take a hard hit to the chin during a physical sequence against Colorado. With the postseason just around the corner, the moment raised alarms. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch quickly downplayed the situation afterward, saying he believed McDavid was fine and noting, “I believe so. I saw him walking around, and I ain’t got any report he’s not.”
In the game, Colorado struck first midway through the second period when Sam Malinski finished a pass from Nicolas Roy to make it 1-0. McDavid answered later in the period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce in the right circle and wiring a wrist shot over Scott Wedgewood for his 48th goal of the season.
The game remained tied through regulation and overtime before Colorado prevailed in the shootout. Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Nathan MacKinnon converted to secure the victory.
Knoblauch noted afterward that Edmonton has struggled to finish chances in recent games. “We’re unfortunate to only score one goal in the last two games,” Knoblauch said. “It’s not that we’re sitting back and not getting chances. We’ve had some. We’ve seen two really good goaltending performances both these nights.”
“You need to score goals to win games, but this group has done a good job generating chances, we just have to put them away,” he added.
Goaltender Connor Ingram stopped 30 shots for Edmonton, while Wedgewood matched him with 30 saves for Colorado. Knoblauch also praised Ingram’s recent form, saying, “Pretty much since his time here he’s given us a lot of quality starts. The last week or two I think he’s even elevated his game,” Knoblauch said.
The Oilers will wrap up their regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday before shifting focus to the postseason. As things stand, Edmonton’s second-place standing in the Pacific Division positions them to face the Anaheim Ducks, currently third, in the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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For Edmonton, the primary takeaway remains McDavid’s status. With their captain appearing to avoid any serious injury, the Oilers can turn their attention fully toward the playoffs with cautious optimism.
