Edmonton Oilers coach calls out "fragile" team after blowout loss
The Edmonton Oilers looked tired, uninterested, and as their head coach put it after the game, fragile in a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night.
It didn’t start that way. In the first 10 minutes of Tuesday night’s affair, the Oilers were swarming the Ducks. At one point, the shot-clock read 6-1 in favour of the home team and Leon Draisaitl’s 45th goal of the season gave Edmonton an early 1-0 lead.
And then it just fell apart. The Ducks came back the other way and found a way to beat Calvin Pickard four times on 11 shots, prompting head coach Kris Knoblauch to put Stuart Skinner between the pipes for the final 40 minutes.
That was the game, however, as the Oilers looked like they were already halfway through forgetting that this one ever happened. Connor McDavid managed to make it 6-2 in the final frame, but he looked more upset than anything after the fact.
Knoblauch, who has become known for his even-keeled post-game conferences, was his usual calm self, but he injected an interesting line that acted as a scathing review of the oldest, most veteran team in the NHL.
“We’re a fragile team, when things aren’t going well we lose our game,” Knoblauch told reporters. “I thought our start is exactly how we needed to play, guys were ready to play, and then a little adversity and we’re a shell of ourselves.
“This is usually a team that can handle any amount of adversity… but right now it’s a tough time in the season.”
"When you're not getting that balanced attack & some more contributions it makes it tough to come from behind or win on a regular basis."
Coach Knoblauch on the #Oilers offensive production.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/0ihY5EH0Q3
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 5, 2025
That is much more critical than we’ve heard Knoblauch in the past. This sounded like something that should be said of an Oilers team throughout the decade of darkness. A young team struggling to find their way in an unforgiving NHL. But that isn’t the case, not even close.
This iteration of the Oilers is as battle-tested as they come. They are the oldest team in the NHL and carry some of the most experienced veterans in the entire league. Confidence and fragility should be the least of their concerns, but that is where they are just 21 games before the postseason.
Goaltending was once again thrust into the spotlight after tonight’s performance. Pickard ended the night with a .636 SV% first period while Skinner had a .875 SV% in the last two periods.
“It certainly wasn’t the performance Calvin had in Carolina, with four goals in the first period,” Knoblauch said. “You’d like a save or two, but I’d also like us to defend the dangerous areas of the ice a lot better than we did.”
Secondary scoring has also been an issue with the team. McDavid and Draisaitl were the only Oilers goal-scorers tonight and Knoblauch, unprompted, cited this lack of offence as an issue that is starting to wear on this team.
“We’re not getting a whole lot of offence unless #97 or #29 are on the ice,” Knoblauch said. “When you’re not getting that balanced attack and some more contributions it makes it tough to come from behind or win on a regular basis.
“As good as they are, and they’re fantastic, we need some other contributions from other guys stepping up a little more.”
The table is set for this Oilers team. We know what they can bring and what they need. It’s never been clearer than now. It’s up to GM Stan Bowman and the rest of the management group to find the solutions, the clock is ticking.