Connor Ingram is now facing a tough choice thanks to Kris Knoblauch after Edmonton’s bad 7-4 defeat in Anaheim.
That’s the main point from Game 3. The Ducks are ahead in the series 2-1, and the Oilers didn’t just lose; they appeared messy, impatient, and it was too easy for the Ducks to pull them into a chaotic game.
Edmonton had some moments where they seemed energized, but those moments were not enough. Besides their strong start and a short comeback that put them in the lead, Anaheim had control for most of the game.
This makes it hard to avoid discussing Ingram now. The team in front of him didn’t perform well for most of the match, but letting in 16 goals in 3 games is a tough number for any playoff series.
Not every goal was his fault. It would be unfair to say that. The Oilers were careless with their defense, lost important battles, and kept allowing the Ducks to set the pace and apply pressure.
But this is playoff hockey. A goalie doesn’t have to be blamed for every single goal to feel the heat.
Ingram even had a solid first period and was one of the few reasons Edmonton wasn’t in deep trouble early on. That’s what makes the game so frustrating for the Oilers.
“There’s not much to add about last night’s game except to say that the Oilers really deserved to lose. You can’t only show up for 15% of a playoff game and think things will go your way.
Aside from scoring first and the short moment when they came back to take the lead, Anaheim controlled the rest of the game. They seemed way more eager to win than the Oilers did.”
Things are getting tougher for the Oilers after more bad news.
Now the coach has a big decision for Game 4. Should he put Ingram back in goal and hope the team improves, or should he recognize that they need a different approach in net?
This is a huge question now. In the first three games, the Oilers have not played well in front of their goalie and have struggled in net, which is making both problems worse.
“This series is far from over. However, it won’t take long for them to be in serious trouble if they can’t improve. Instead of Sunday being an opportunity to take control of the series, the Oilers are now desperately trying to stay in a series that they seem to be throwing away. ”
There was at least one piece of good news. After failing to score on six power play chances in the first two games and allowing a bad shorthanded goal in Game 2, Edmonton finally managed to score when they had an extra player.
Connor McDavid found the net for the first time in the playoffs, and the Oilers succeeded on half of their power play opportunities. In a game that mostly didn’t go well, that was a small highlight to take with them.
However, that bit of good news only helps a little. Edmonton still played too much like it was a casual game, allowed Anaheim to make things chaotic, and often seemed less focused overall.
That’s what should worry Knoblauch the most. This team has experienced players who should know how to handle this better.
The series isn’t over at 2-1. The Oilers faced a similar situation last year and managed to turn things around. But if Knoblauch makes the wrong decision about the goalie, or if the team keeps playing so carelessly, things could get a lot worse.
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