Oilers nonetheless trying to find their sport after low-excitement loss to Kraken

There’s low occasion hockey, after which there’s no occasion hockey.

After a six-goal outburst towards the Montreal Canadiens Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers appeared to revert to their former selves — a low-scoring, low-event, low-excitement unit that discovered a solution to lose to the Seattle Kraken in a 3-2 snoozer Saturday evening in Seattle.

The top coach noticed promise within the efficiency nevertheless, on an evening the place the excessive hazard probabilities have been scored 9-4 within the Oilers’ favour, in keeping with Pure Stat Trick.

“There have been loads of issues I favored. We had extra scoring probabilities than (in all) however one sport this yr,” stated Knoblauch, who was extra involved along with his group’s defensive posture. “Whether or not it was a foul pinch or a ahead not coming again … that’s the place Seattle has all of their probabilities.”

Ex-Oiler Jordan Eberle scored twice, and the Oilers couldn’t discover a objective from its total ahead corps. They’ll roll over the border into Vancouver for a date with the Canucks Sunday, ending an eight-game stretch during which Edmonton performed in eight totally different cities.

“There’s no secret method, no secret answer. It’s simply placing within the exhausting work,” stated Darnell Nurse, whose group is 4-4-2 and nonetheless trying to find its sport. “For us, it’s the connectiveness we speak about — 5 gamers all around the ice. Work ethic, successful our battles — the cliché issues.”

The street video games are stacking up on these Oilers, to be honest. They performed 5 video games within the Jap time zone, one at dwelling within the Mountain time zone, and now shut out this stretch with video games within the Pacific time zone at Seattle and Vancouver.

What resulted was yet one more two-goal outing for an Oilers group that is had hassle discovering the web this season. Evan Bouchard ripped dwelling his first of the yr on the ability play, and Nurse scored his first on a uncommon net-front deflection for the 3-2 objective.

That’s two objectives by defencemen, whereas the 12 forwards have been shut out — with solely Leon Draisaitl (0-2-2) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0-1-1) recording factors.

In the meantime, all three Seattle objectives got here off the push, whereas the Oilers couldn’t purchase a objective in that trend.

“Our depth was higher, our execution with the puck was higher. We created extra scoring probabilities,” Knoblauch stated. “However in the event you can’t rating off the push, they usually’re scoring off the push, it makes a giant distinction.”

One and (hopefully not) achieved

Oilers followers held loads of hope {that a} pair of 21-year-old wingers might step into the lineup and assist offensively. However to this point Ike Howard and Matt Savoie — regardless of each having their likelihood to begin video games on Connor McDavid’s wing — have been lower than productive at one level apiece.

Savoie began Thursday’s sport towards the Montreal Canadiens on a line with McDavid and Draisaitl, however was lengthy gone from that unit when head coach Kris Knoblauch blew his traces up halfway by an unsatisfactory Oilers effort.

On Saturday in Seattle it was Howard’s flip, as he opened on a unit with McDavid and proper winger Andrew Mangiapane. By the point the third interval started nevertheless, Howard had been changed by Jack Roslovic, as Knoblauch continued his seek for a related, goal-scoring lineup in a season that has given him treasured little of that.

“I’m not over-thinking it, to be sincere. Simply excited to get on the market and play a superb sport,” a hopeful Howard stated earlier than the sport.

Howard has a objective, is minus-1 and has 9 pictures on track over his first eight NHL video games. He’s a shooter, you’ll be able to see that. However there’s a lot extra that has to occur at this degree in an effort to end up in prime scoring place, with time and area to make use of his shot.

“It’s an extended course of to get to the place I wish to be, but it surely’s been feeling good. It’s gotten higher every sport,” Howard stated. “I’ve at all times had that shooter’s intuition. Possibly it’s one thing you’re born with. I like to shoot pucks, get beauty, rating objectives.”

His coach sees progress, even when he thought Rosolovic had extra moving into his sport Saturday.

“Issues early on have been closing on him quick. It felt like he didn’t have an out with the puck, or didn’t know what the subsequent play was,” Knoblauch stated of Howard. “Now, he appears assured. Issues aren’t closing, and he’s capable of make the subsequent play.”