Brett Kulak is another who has been off his game after missing the last few preseason contests. Mattias Ekholm and Ryan McLeod missed the entirety of training camp, and both have endured slow starts. This has been an issue at both ends of the sheet all season, in which the Oilers have been outscored 13-4 off the rush, McDavid or no McDavid.ĭoesn’t help of course that a few other Oilers are less than 100% physically. By our analysis at the Cult of Hockey, New York generated 9 Grade A shots and the game’s only 2 even-strength goals off the rush while the Oilers created 5 and 0 respectively. The Rangers outskated the Oil, especially noticeable in transition where they generated a number of odd-man rushes and open looks. To my eye in the end zone high above the visitors’ net, Edmonton was not quick enough against NYR. His absence has has been all too apparent the last two games, when the Oilers were outskilled 7-4 by Minnesota Wild, then outclassed 3-0 by NYR. We’ll pull our punches a little though not a lot given the locals were already 1-3-1 and skating in sand by the time the captain got sidelined. It’s not entirely fair to judge the Oilers during the current absence of three-time Hart Trophy recipient Connor McDavid. Last season they suffered just 9 such defeats over the entire 82-game slate. Doing some quick math, that’s over half of their contests to date. Just 7 games into the new season the Oilers have already lost 4 games by 3 or more goals. And their 4.29 goals against per game is currently dead last in the NHL, this after finishing middle of the pack at 3.12 in 2022-23. Their high-powered offence ranks a lowly 26th with just 2.43 goals per game after leading the league comfortably a season ago at 3.96 G/GP. Likewise, the Oil’s startling -13 goal differential is ahead of San Jose’s brutal -24 but worse than every other NHL club. 214 points percentage ranks them 31st in the 32-team league, ahead of only the execrable San Jose Sharks (0-7-1 =. With the richly-deserved defeat, the Oilers record dropped to 1-5-1 in the young season.
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