4 Takeaways From Edmonton Oilers’ Embarrassing 7-4 Game 3 Loss to Ducks – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers got dominated in Game 3, losing 7-4 to the Anaheim Ducks. This team got exactly what they deserved, and they were unprepared from the start.

The Ducks got goals from Mason McTavish, Mikael Granlund, Alex Killorn, Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, Jeffrey Viel, and Jackson LaCombe. Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers. Lukas Dostal stopped 20 of 24 shots for an .833 save percentage (SV%) in the win, while Connor Ingram stopped 32 of 38 shots for an .842 SV% in defeat.

The Oilers are a “veteran group,” but they continue to make the same mistakes. They lack attention to detail and consistency. They have scored four goals in every game but are still trailing 2-1 in the series because their defensive play has been horrendous. Here are four takeaways from this brutal loss.

Oilers’ Second Line Was Good

This was the only positive from this game. The Oilers’ second line has been their best line through three games, and it hasn’t been close. Leon Draisaitl, Podkolzin, and Kapanen have been their three best players. When they were on the ice, they generated chances and had sustained offensive zone time. They were the only players who showed consistent effort throughout the game.

Podkolzin scored the first goal of the game, and Kapanen added another off a great backhand pass from Draisaitl. Podkolzin also had four hits, one blocked shot, and a fight. That trio has worked hard for their chances, and the rest of the team should take notes. That leads us to the next takeaway.

Oilers’ Effort Was Putrid

Are the Oilers aware this is the playoffs? They played like it was Game 85 of the regular season. This is the time to lock in and buckle down defensively, but they haven’t whatsoever. They played way too loosely, and Anaheim won every battle.

Edmonton refused to get pucks and traffic towards the net. They didn’t test Dostal nearly enough. They were too cute, trying to pass the puck in the net, and that’s not going to work. They didn’t get to the dangerous areas, and the Ducks did. One team worked hard, and the other didn’t.

The first period was arguably the worst period Edmonton has played this season. They got outshot 20-7 in the opening frame. According to Natural Stat Trick, Anaheim also had a 17-5 advantage in scoring chances, including 9-1 high-danger chances. The Ducks had 3.01 expected goals for, while the Oilers had a measly 0.48 expected goals for. The visitors were dominated early, and they couldn’t fully recover. Anaheim wanted it more.

Knoblauch’s Days Are Numbered

Head coach Kris Knoblauch has to realize that his team can’t continue trading chances with the Ducks. “I would like us to connect on more passes and get more shots off the rush,” Knoblauch stated before Game 3. That shouldn’t be his mindset. The Oilers are more effective off the cycle because they don’t defend well off the rush. If you trade rush chances, that opens the door for the opponents to capitalize on your mistakes.

The Oilers are better when they create off the cycle and hem in their opponents. Eventually, their skill will take over, but it starts with effort and physicality in the corners. Knoblauch isn’t coaching this team to their strengths, and that was evident in this one.

The Oilers’ bench boss also refuses to play the fourth line. Curtis Lazar played 7:30, Colton Dach played 9:14, and Trent Frederic played 9:37. He clearly doesn’t trust his fourth line, and the opposite can be said for Anaheim. Head coach Joel Quenneville has trusted his fourth line immensely. So much so that he has played them against McDavid’s line, and they have completely shut him down.

At any sign of adversity, Knoblauch loads up McDavid with Draisaitl, and that doesn’t work. Edmonton is without Jason Dickinson and Adam Henrique, so they are thin at centre. They don’t have the depth to deploy that option and should keep them separated, especially with how well the second line has played.

Knoblauch is being completely out-coached, which isn’t surprising. The team was unprepared to play, which was evident by that abysmal first period, and that falls on the coach. He has completely lost the plot with this team and should take the brunt of the blame for their struggles.

Knoblauch signed a three-year contract extension before this season, but if the Oilers fail to win the Stanley Cup, he could be fired before that contract kicks in.

McDavid Is Costing the Team

Despite scoring a goal, McDavid has had a putrid first three games. While he’s not 100 percent healthy, we can’t use that as an excuse. He’s skating well, but he’s making egregious mental mistakes. He is trying to do way too much to generate offence, and he’s forcing plays that aren’t there. The Oilers’ captain is attempting to skate through the entire Ducks’ team, and Anaheim is stealing the puck from him with ease. He needs to chip the puck in deep and retrieve it. Simple hockey is more effective, and he has to make the necessary adjustments.

McDavid had two points but had a team-worst minus-4 rating. While plus/minus isn’t the best statistic to judge your defensive play, he still struggled in his own zone. He wasn’t in the right areas and wasn’t nearly physical enough. He’s the captain, and he has to set an example. He flew the zone far too many times, looking for the poke check rather than taking the body and forcing a turnover. He cheated for offence and got burned.

He also took a terrible cross-checking penalty to negate Edmonton’s power play late in the third period. Anaheim scored shortly after to extend their lead to 6-4, seemingly putting the game away. He has played extremely selfishly, and if that continues, the Oilers will have an extended summer. He needs to be much better.

Are the Oilers in trouble? Game 4 is Sunday, April 26, in Anaheim. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the playoffs.