Leon Draisaitl is getting fed up. After three straight losses and some ungodly awful penalty killing, the Edmonton Oilers forward has called out his team (himself included) for an inability to keep the puck out of their own net. Too many Grade-A chances against are killing the team’s decent start to the season and Draisaitl is among many in the organization stressing that it’s time to figure things out.
“We just give up too many goals,” Draisaitl said after a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday. He added, ”It’s getting old, battling back. It’s exhausting, tiring.”
"We just give up too many goals."
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 8, 2022
Leon Draisaitl summarizes the 5-4 loss to the Capitals. pic.twitter.com/3KgV3OPGWb
He was asked about the team’s less-than-stellar penalty kill and he said he’s no juggernaut in that regard but he believes the team is being too hesitant and doesn’t know when to pressure. The numbers are quite astonishing, really. The Oilers are a team that has been historically good over the past few seasons when down a man. Whether it’s a change in philosophy or different personnel, something is definitely off — no Duncan Keith or Kris Russell probably hasn’t helped.
Part of the issue is that the Oilers are forced to kill too many penalties to begin with. Draisaitl notes that it feels like the Oilers are playing 10 minutes per game shorthanded. For example, Evan Bouchard’s untimely penalty in the final minutes of the game against the Capitals all but sealed the fate of any Oilers’ comeback. It’s the kind of mistake a young player might make, but one the team can’t afford.
Missed assignments are also a regular occurrence. The Capitals had point-blank looks, some of which rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped, some of which he didn’t.
The road doesn’t get any easier for the Oilers as they fly into Tampa Bay and take on the Lightning in a back-to-back situation. Draisaitl said, “It’ll be a tough game coming in late, but we got to find a way to hang in there and get some points.” Should the Oilers not win, it brings the team back to a .500 record, not where they want to be. And, if that happens, one has to wonder how long general manager Ken Holland waits to make changes. After all, it isn’t just the defense that is struggling, but the team’s reputation for great depth at forward has taken a hit since $3 million-players like Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Warren Foegele can’t seem to find the back of the net.
Next: Jack Campbell Has Harsh Critique of His Own Play for Oilers
