Mike Babcock had blunt assessment of Edmonton Oilers shootout loss
Sometimes stealing a point is all you can do.
The Edmonton Oilers looked like a tired team against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. They were in their third game in four nights, and while they were riding the high of a three-game winning streak, fatigue started to show at the Prudential Center.
A speedy Devils team took over the game in the second period, notching three quick unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead. The Oilers battled back and tied things up on a couple of power-play markers, but they couldn’t figure out a way to get that fatal blow past Connor Hellebuyck.
A thrilling OT period went by without a solution, and Edmonton lost the coin-flip in the shootout to fall 4-3, the team’s first road loss of the season.
Mike Babcock has never been afraid to tell it like it is, and he did so once again after the disappointing loss.
“I thought in the second, I don’t know what was going on. They were way better than us, way faster than us,” Babcock said. “We feel fortunate to get a point here tonight; they were better than us.
“We knew what we were getting ourselves into, and we weren’t good enough.”
"We feel fortunate to get a point here tonight, they were better than us… It's a good road trip, I didn't like it as much today, but good road trip."
Coach Bacock speaks on the #Oilers shootout loss & three-game road trip. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/CoCB2koqBd
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2026
Though the loss may sting a little, the Oilers still see this as a pretty successful road trip altogether. Edmonton took five of a possible six points on the three-game trip through New York and have seen their game get closer to the level that they’ve been building toward since the season started.
The offence is starting to get contributions down the lineup, the defensive structure is coming together, and they’ve been getting steady goaltending. There is disappointment in not getting the clean sweep on the trip, but things don’t seem all that bad in Oil Country at the moment.
“The second was no good, put us on our heels a little bit,” Draisaitl said. “I thought it was a good trip for us, but obviously you want to grab all six [points] if you can… But good trip all in all.
“All in all, I think, especially this trip, I’ve liked the consistency part of it, other than the second period today was not our best. All in all, I think we’re trending in a good spot and trending in the right direction.”
"The second was no good, put us on our heels a little bit. Thought we regrouped not too bad in the third. We'll take the point."
Leon Draisaitl on the #Oilers erasing a deficit vs. the Devils before falling in the shootout. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/4w79eNfuJy
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2026
The shootout has given the Oilers a bit of trouble this season, having lost two of the three early on this season. It was Kasperi Kapanen failing to beat Hellebuyck in the fourth round that eventually led to the loss.
The speedy Finn met with the media after the game, echoing Draisaitl’s comments on the team’s direction.
“We’re finding our game a little bit, and it takes time,” Kapanen said. “This road trip, I think, has been a success. We’re just gonna continue this at home.
“Every day we come to work and try to get better and know the system better.
"We're finding our game a little bit & it takes time. This road trip, I think, has been a success. We're just gonna continue this at home."
Kasperi Kapanen on the #Oilers picking up five of a potential six points on their three-game road trip. @Enterprise | L#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/ouVXbmOlng
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2026
The Oilers’ record now falls to 11-2-3 on the season, which is good enough to put them just a single point behind the league-leading Carolina Hurricanes. Edmonton will now travel back to Alberta, where a four-game homestand awaits them starting on Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks.