When the top players for the Edmonton Oilers point out inconsistencies in their play in a bold fashion, the rest of the club pays attention.
Such was the case following Edmonton’s disappointing loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday evening at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
While star forward Leon Draisaitl tallied twice on the power-play for the Oilers, they ultimately fell by a 4-3 final score in the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta. The loss was costly for the Oilers, as it denied them a chance to draw even with the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the Pacific Division standings.
Following the setback, Draisaitl spoke in plain terms about the inconsistency that’s been plaguing their team, and was sure to include the coaching staff in his comments.
“This league is too hard to just lollygag through games and try to get winning streaks going,” Draisaitl said.
“You need everybody. It starts with coaches. Everybody. You’re never going to win if you have four or five guys going and it starts at the top. We can be better. Our leaders can be better. We’ll take the break and regroup.”
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The Edmonton Oilers Twice Tied The Score, But Ultimately Lost
Despite two power-play tallies from Draisaitl, the Oilers were unable to take advantage and pull ahead.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch said he believed that the upcoming Olympic break will do the club good.
“It looks like we need a little break right now,” Knoblauch said. “We can reset. We’ve got this time to refocus and make any adjustments we want. The coaches have a long time to look at and evaluate what we want to do. We’ve got a little mini training camp coming back when we’ve got about a week to go, so we can focus on things that we need to get better at or any changes that we need to make.”
Oilers Goaltender Tristan Jarry Did Not Have A Good Game
Jarry, who was acquired by the Oilers in a blockbuster trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins in December, didn’t do much to encourage fans that he’s their long-awaited solution in goal.
He allowed four goals on the 25 shots that he faced, and afterward, he took responsibility for his subpar play.
“It’s tough,” Jarry said. “I think I could have made some more saves. I think ultimately, if I can keep that game at two, we come out with a better outcome. I think I could have played better at the start, and I think that’ll be the case going forward.”
“I think it starts with me. I think I could be more accountable, and I think I could play better. I think if I play better and stand in there strong for these guys, I think we’ll have some better outcomes. I think it starts with me, and I think I just have to be better moving forward.”
So far, Jarry has not looked impressive with the Oilers, having gone 6-4-1 with a less than spectacular 3.64 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.
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