The Edmonton Oilers lost 5-3 to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 29). They simply didn’t have it in this one and were thoroughly outplayed, while being outshot 32-23 in the game. They had two separate two-goal leads, but were unable to hold on, and gave up the eventual game-winning goal in the final three minutes. This was an extremely lacklusture, and frankly, embarrassing effort from the Oilers. They had way too many turnovers and made brutal decisions with the puck. Their power play was the only reason this game was remotely close. This was arguably their worst loss of the season in terms of their compete level. As a result, they only managed to leave California with one out of a possible four points. With that said, here are three takeaways from this disappointing performance.
Jeff Skinner Healthy Scratched
The biggest storyline for the Oilers happened before the puck was even dropped against Anaheim. Head coach Kris Knoblauch announced that Jeff Skinner would be a healthy scratch, and replaced by Derek Ryan. It’s no secret that Skinner has been in Knoblauch’s dog house throughout the season. The Oilers forward hasn’t earned the trust of his head coach which culminated with this healthy scratch. Prior to that, Skinner has primarily played on the fourth line, only averaging 12:58 of ice time which is the lowest of his career. Despite his limited role, he still has six goals and 12 points on the season.
Related: Oilers & Jeff Skinner Are Proving to Not Be a Good Fit
Skinner has been a top-six winger throughout his entire career, but so far in Edmonton that hasn’t been the case. He’s being asked to produce while playing a role that he’s unfamiliar with, so his lack of production shouldn’t come as a surprise. Viktor Arvidsson was elevated to the top-six only two games after returning from a 15-game injury absence, yet Skinner has remained on the fourth line, which is really telling. During their recent loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the 32-year-old winger only had two third-period shifts, and his line gave up the game-tying goal on one of them. He had a team-low 8:31 of ice time, which ultimately landed him in the press box against the Ducks.
The Skinner experiment has failed miserably, and if he’s not being used in a role that best suits his skill set, the organization should ask him to waive his no-movement clause (NMC) and trade him to a better situation. When Evander Kane inevitably returns from injury, Skinner doesn’t have a spot on this roster.
Oilers Won Special Teams Battle
Edmonton’s special teams was the only positive in an overall disappointing game. They were a perfect 5/5 on the penalty kill and 2/3 on the power play courtesy of Leon Draisaitl’s two power-play markers. Special teams kept them in a game they had no business being in. Even though they did take five minor penalties, which is never ideal, they didn’t give up a ton of quality chances. Heading into this game, Anaheim had the 30th-ranked power play at only 13.3% and it showed. Despite dominating the special teams battle, they were abysmal at even strength, which was their downfall.
Oilers Struggle to Close Out Games
This game was another one that got away. The Oilers had a two-goal lead on two separate occasions but failed to finish it off. After taking a 3-1 lead midway through the game, the Ducks responded with four unanswered goals, including an empty-netter. This was a game against a rebuilding Ducks team that should have been a win, but their lack of detail cost them. Ty Emberson got caught puck-watching on Anaheim’s first goal, and Darnell Nurse failed to clear the zone on Anaheim’s third goal. They made too many mental mistakes, and gave up quality looks at even strength.
Far too many times this season the Oilers have blown leads. Earlier this season, Edmonton blew third-period leads to the Nashville Predators and New York Islanders, before ultimately winning in overtime. However, they had another third-period lead against the Kings on Saturday (Dec. 28), but lost that one in overtime. Then, they had a 2-0 and 3-1 lead in this one but still found a way to lose. That is not a recipe for success, especially come playoff time. There are no easy games in the NHL, and Edmonton found that out the hard way. Every team will have stinkers over the course of an 82-game season, but what’s important is their ability to respond and avoid lengthy losing streaks. The Oilers are a resilient team as proven over recent years, so they will be fine. But, that doesn’t change the fact that this was an extremely disappointing defeat.
The Oilers look to get back on track when they host the Utah Hockey Club on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). After that, they get another crack at the Ducks when they pay a visit to Rogers Place on Jan. 3. They will need a much better effort in those games if they hope to come away victorious.
