Oilers’ Frustrations Grow After Another Lost Lead What’s Happening in Edmonton?

Oilers’ Frustrations Grow After Another Lost Lead — What’s Happening in Edmonton?

The Edmonton Oilers are running out of reasons for their poor performance. Once again, they allowed a comfortable lead of two goals to slip away — which set a sad team record. On Tuesday night, they lost to the Dallas Stars in a shootout with a score of 4-3, marking the sixth time this season they’ve given up a two-goal lead.

After suffering a tough 3-2 defeat against the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton went into Dallas hoping to win. Things seemed to be going well when Connor McDavid increased the score to 3-1 in the middle of the third period following a great passing play. But instead of finishing strong, the Oilers fell apart again, allowing the Stars to come back and force overtime.

“It’s hard. We had a good chance and just let them come back too much,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the player with the longest time on the team. “We need to be smarter and start winning games like this. ”

Even though the Oilers had more shots than Dallas with 12-5 in the third, they were still outscored 2-1 in that period. Head coach Kris Knoblauch expressed his disappointment after the game, saying that lack of focus and not following the game plan — rather than effort — were the reasons for the loss. “We lose our assignments at important times,” Knoblauch explained. “It’s not just one problem. It’s penalties, turnovers, and not paying attention — issues that shouldn’t happen this often. ”

Both McDavid’s and Leon Draisaitl’s lines were on the ice when Edmonton lost their lead. This has become a concerning trend for a team built around star players.

On a bright side, the power play is still leading the league. They are ranked No. 1 with a 35.1% success rate, and Draisaitl’s amazing goal from almost behind the net was another impressive reminder of how strong their special teams are.

However, with growing frustration in the locker room and among the fans, the Oilers must face a tough truth — playoff experience means little if you can’t hold onto a lead. Their next challenge will be against Colorado on Hockey Night in Canada.