Published Nov 03, 2023<\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0hours ago<\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/span><\/p>\n They came into the season on a mission to improve their defensive game in the hopes of tipping the scales at the end of the year.<\/p>\n Instead, the Edmonton Oilers have found themselves struggling under the weight of a 2-6-1 record that resembles anything but the Stanley Cup contender the pundits prognosticated them as being over the off-season.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And as for fixing the defence, things have only gotten worse as the Oilers are averaging four goals-against per game to sit right near the back of the pack, 30th in the league.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Oh, and it\u2019s not the only area of their game that has taken steps backward, as their record wholeheartedly indicates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been nine games here. It has been a tough stretch, we\u2019re into it up to our knees,\u201d said head coach Jay Woodcroft, whose squad faces a Nashville Predators team they have already beaten once this year, when they square off Saturday (1 p.m.) at Rogers Place. \u201cWe have the opportunity to go 3-6-1. Last year, we had a segment that was 3-7.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tough segment, but you\u2019ve got to work your way out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n And continue all the way to 109 points for a top-five finish to a regular-season in franchise history.<\/p>\n Which poses the question, what\u2019s changed to make this Oilers group unable to pick up this season where they left the last one off?<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the people to get it done,\u201d Woodcroft said. \u201cThis team\u2019s won 100 games. It\u2019s gone to five playoff rounds in the last two years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had tough times in those times, we\u2019re going through one right now. It\u2019s about sticking together. That\u2019s what I think.\u201d<\/p>\n In seasons past, the Oilers could rely on the offensive powerhouse up front led by the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to overcome many shortcomings on the back end.<\/p>\n Headline News<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n So, why have goals-against become such a problem out of the gates this year?<\/p>\n \u201cGreat question. If I had the answer, I\u2019d probably implement it in here right away,\u201d said defenceman Mattias Ekholm. \u201cIt\u2019s not the one way we\u2019re getting scored on, I think there\u2019s many factors. The odd game, it\u2019s the rushes that\u2019s the problem, the odd game it\u2019s mental errors or mistakes or lapses.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, we\u2019re not scoring at the pace where we can, I guess, mask those mistakes and it\u2019s costing us games.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Thursday\u2019s 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had 50 shots (on goal) yesterday. We had almost 100 attempts. We played really good against Calgary,\u201d Ekholm said of Sunday\u2019s Heritage Classic win. \u201cThere is still a process that\u2019s working, it\u2019s just because it\u2019s the first 10 games of the season and everyone\u2019s seeing the win column. Nobody\u2019s happy with that.<\/p>\n \u201cThe room is feeling, even though the results haven\u2019t gone our way yet, that we\u2019re working toward a process that will lead us to a segment where we win a bunch of games and make up for this.\u201d<\/p>\n But the funk the Oilers find themselves in isn\u2019t just a defensive issue.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we haven\u2019t been scoring the way that we want to, so obviously there\u2019s some frustration there,\u201d Draisaitl said. \u201cBut I think if we continue to put pucks on net like that, more often than not we\u2019ll score enough to win.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems to me like it\u2019s more individual mistakes than systematic or anything like that. So, I think individually, I don\u2019t know, we lost our sharpness for a second and it seems like every time that happens it\u2019s in the back of the net.\u201d<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean these Oilers have to all of a sudden start playing mistake-free.<\/p>\n \u201cMistakes are going to happen, it\u2019s just can you limit them to a certain number where you can come out on the good side.\u201d<\/p>\n They are well aware of what they are able to do, coming off of back-to-back seasons where they were only knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champions.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of it\u2019s mental,\u201d said Draisaitl. \u201cHaving the confidence to go out there to not be afraid to make mistakes and not be afraid to play aggressive defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where the confidence part comes in. Looking around the room, we\u2019ve got a lot of good hockey players in here. This might be a new year but we\u2019ve done some really good things in this league and for each other over the course of a few years here together.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue to chip away at that and not lose the confidence in who we are as a group.\u201d<\/p>\n E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com<\/strong><\/p>\n On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge<\/strong><\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n Comments<\/p>\n Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications\u2014you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. 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The Edmonton Oilers celebrate their third goal against the Calgary Flames during first period action at the Heritage Classic, in Edmonton Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. <\/span> Photo by David Bloom<\/span> \/Postmedia<\/span><\/p>\nArticle content<\/h2>\n
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