With a frazzled and disorganized 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday, the second-worst team in the NHL after seven games lived up to its reputation, embarrassing both itself and everyone else in Rogers Place.
Given that the first game was a 7-4 smack in the mouth in which Minnesota outscored Edmonton 5-1 in the third period, it is very horrible to say that Edmonton’s second game without injured captain Connor McDavid was even worse.
The collapse happened in the second this time. When New York turned up the heat, Edmonton wilted like daisies in an oven after surviving an opening quarter in which they didn’t get their third shot until the fifteen-minute mark.
They handed up three goals, at least that many wide-open looks, and six odd-man rushes. With two goalposts and goaltender Stuart Skinner, the score would likely be 6-0 Rangers after 40.
Even yet, it was already terrible enough that supporters of the home side were jeered off the ice by booing them when they couldn’t contain their rage on the night that Doug Weight and Charlie Huddy were inducted into the Oilers Hall of Fame.
Boooo? Edmonton’s offense was the lone ghostly presence this evening. The defense was also a little unsettling.
The Oilers appear to be in complete disarray as they are currently 1-5-1 and in 31st position in the 32-team league. There are still defensive lapses occurring everywhere. In this one, New York dissected them.
Additionally, they attempted, with very little success, to pass the puck past Jonathan Quick in the first two periods up front, where they are meant to be simplifying their game by slamming the puck at the net and crashing for rebounds and deflections.
Defenseman Darnell Nurse stated, “To a man, it’s as simple as that. We have to be better.” “At this point, everyone simply needs to look in the mirror and perform much (bleeping) better.
“Our goalies aren’t going to be able to make five or six two-on-one saves every night.”
They ended the evening by going six out of seven games this season without netting a goal in the third period.
Soon, something has to give.
