Oilers Collapse in 5-3 Loss to Ducks, Mom’s Trip a Dud

The Edmonton Oilers lost disappointingly on Sunday, falling 5-3 to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, closing out a lackluster weekend in California. It was the mom’s trip weekend for the players, and the boys should feel bad about their collective effort. It was particularly bad in Anaheim, where after building a 3-1 lead, the team collapsed and the Oilers unraveled defensively, allowing four unanswered goals.

The death nail was Ryan Strome’s first in 13 games, which put the Ducks ahead 4-3 late in the third period.

The Oilers played well in the first, despite not getting many shots on net. They’d killed off four successive power plays and scored on their two chances to take a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, defensive lapses in the second and third allowed the Ducks to take over 5-v-5 and tie the game. A handful of players struggled, but a Darnell Nurse misplays on the wall proved costly. He was involved in three consecutive Ducks goals.

Edmonton was not good at even strength, as they were outshot and outplayed 5-on-5, managing just 23 shots on goal. Goaltender Calvin Pickard played well until the dam broke. When it did, things unraveled.

Questions About Lines and Depth Will Need to Be Answered for the Oilers

This loss raises further concerns about Edmonton’s depth issues and line combinations. Heading into the weekend, head coach Kris Knoblauch tried to fix what wasn’t necessarily broken. He changed up the second and third lines despite their effectiveness, and it cost the Oilers during both games.

Against L.A., Adam Henrique had one of his worst games as an Oiler. Not coincidentally, he wasn’t playing with Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark. The reason for the change was to give Vitkor Arvidsson a look on line two, which bumped Kapanen down to line three. The juggling continued on Sunday, and with no clear second-line combination, head coach Kris Knoblauch paired stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the top line in the third period, highlighting ongoing lineup issues. Arvidsson has shown signs of improvement recently, but giving him priority at the expense of line chemistry in other areas will need to be monitored closely.

Adding to the lingering questions is what to do with veteran Jeff Skinner. He was a healthy scratch, making it hard to know what the next steps are when it comes to his usage.

With this loss marking one of their worst performances of the season, the Oilers will look to bounce back at home on New Year’s Eve as they host the Utah Hockey Club for the first time at Rogers Place.

Perhaps it was the pressure of the moms being on the road with the team, but one would hope not. The Oilers need to be better. It’s probably a good thing the moms are with them after this performance. Some of the Oilers might need a little love.

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