On Friday night (Feb. 7), the last game before their two-week break, the Edmonton Oilers lost a tough one to the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 5-4. Colorado got goals from Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar (2), Artturi Lehkonen, and the game-winner from Martin Necas. Edmonton got goals from both Leon Draisaitl (2) and Corey Perry (2). The Oilers never led in this game, despite battling back from multiple one-goal deficits. Ultimately, a late third-period goal was too much to overcome, as they were unable to find the equalizer. Here are three takeaways from this disappointing defeat.
Draisaitl Hits 40-Goal Mark
Let’s start with a positive. Draisaitl reached the 40-goal plateau thanks to a two-goal performance in this one. He handedly leads the NHL in goals, having scored seven more than second-place. On top of that, he has 29 even-strength goals which ranks first, and only two empty net goals. The superstar forward has also scored three times with his goalie pulled to tie the game late in the third period. He’s Mr. Clutch and has put the team on his back the entire season. As a result, he should be the odds-on favourite to win the Hart Trophy. Draisaitl became the 26th player in history with six 40-plus goal seasons, joining Auston Matthews, Steven Stamkos, and Alex Ovechkin among active players.
What’s Wrong with Connor McDavid?
It’s weird to say this considering he has 71 points on the season, which ranks fourth in the league, but Connor McDavid seems off. He was held off the scoresheet in this one and was a minus-3. On top of that, he looked uninterested on the power play, which was the case for the entire five-man unit. This was a game featuring arguably the four best players in the world in Draisaitl, Makar, MacKinnon, and McDavid. This was a high-scoring game that included four points from MacKinnon and two goals from both Makar and Draisaitl, but nothing from the Oilers’ captain despite playing over 24 minutes. The other superstars in this game had big nights, but he didn’t.
Related: Something’s Up With Connor McDavid
Since returning from his three-game suspension, McDavid has six points in six games, but only two at even strength, and two in overtime. For most players, six points in six games is good, but McDavid is held to a higher standard. He’s not dominating like we’re used to seeing. He seems kind of checked out and looks like he’s just going through the motions. Hopefully, it’s nothing major and he can get back on track for the stretch run.
He’s someone who could use a reset as the team gears up for what should be another lengthy playoff run. Unfortunately, he’s off to compete for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, so he doesn’t get a break. Hopefully, he comes back motivated and has a big second half, because the team certainly needs it.
Stuart Skinner Was Pulled
Stuart Skinner was abysmal in the first period, allowing three goals on 12 shots for a putrid .750 save percentage (SV%). As a result, he was replaced by Calvin Pickard to start the second period. Pickard stopped 17 of 19 shots for a .895 SV% in relief.
The bottom line is that Skinner needs to play better, especially starting games. The first two goals simply cannot go in. Yes, they were off the stick of both MacKinnon and Makar, but they were extremely stoppable pucks. The first one was off a simple wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that went five-hole, and the second one was another wrister off the rush that went glove-side. This game would be completely different if he made those two saves.
“I don’t think he had much opportunity on the third one, but made a nice save at the end of the first period. But the first two, I felt like he could’ve had. Picks has been winning us a lot of games, and we needed a boost for our team. He has a pretty good record of late, and felt he could come in and do the job,” head coach Kris Knoblauch stated during his postgame presser. It’s unfortunate that Pickard got stuck with the loss on his record.
Skinner desperately needs this break to regroup and refocus. This team needs him to be solid going into the playoffs, and if he’s not, they’re in trouble. Thankfully, Edmonton doesn’t have another home game until March 4, so a lengthy road trip could be just what the doctor ordered for both Skinner and the team.
With this recent goaltending performance, should the Oilers look to upgrade that position by the trade deadline? If so, who should they target? After the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Oilers begin a five-game Eastern Conference road trip starting in Philadelphia against the Flyers. This is a much-needed reset for this team as they gear up for the final 27 regular season games and push for the playoffs.
