EDMONTON — When you have the puck for most of the afternoon and walk away with but one lousy goal in garbage time, the question becomes: who gets the most credit for the Edmonton Oilers‘ scoring drought?
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger, who was fantastic? Or a group of high-end Oilers who haven’t found their mid-season hands yet?
The Edmonton Oilers lost 4-1 in Dallas on Saturday afternoon in a game they controlled for most of the opening 40 minutes, outshooting the Stars 31-24 overall. But the Dallas power play went one-for-one while Edmonton’s sleepy unit was scoreless in two tries. Every Oilers push simply fizzed at the Stars’ net before Leon Draisaitl’s late goal, with Stuart Skinner on the bench at 17:38 of the third period and the Stars ahead 3-0.
“We just couldn’t capitalize,” said Zach Hyman. “We had a lot of chances, a lot of looks, but weren’t able to beat (Oettinger) until the six-on-five.”
Oettinger was better than Stuart Skinner, and the Stars’ shooters made good on far less chances than the Oilers had. In the end, the better team won, even if — somehow — the better team for much of the game managed to lose.
“We played really well five-on-five,” said Hyman, who had four shots on goal. “We would like to have done better on those power plays, and then they score on their (only) power play. We played really well for those two periods there and couldn’t get one by (Oettinger).”
We’re five games into this National Hockey League season, and the Oilers’ power play (1-for-15) has scored exactly once. Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson still don’t have a point, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has just two assists and no goals, and Evan Bouchard has a goal but no helpers.
As a team, they controlled this game, but the red light has to go on at some point, doesn’t it?
“I thought we were really good at the start of the game,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We were checking really well and just couldn’t capitalize. We didn’t, just couldn’t, get it in the back of the net.
“We had some chances that didn’t go in, and then they get their power play and they score right away. That was a big turning point in the game.”
Mixing Up The PP
Knoblauch has seen about enough of a power play that is historically good but hasn’t been able to fire this season.
“We’re at the point where we’ve got to be considering making some adjustments to it,” Knoblauch admitted after the game. “Every power play is going to go through a stretch of not scoring. But we’ve gone six games now, and we’re one-for-15.
“I’m not sure we do it right away, but it’s certainly something that’s on our minds.”
Somehow, the five-man unit that has been the best in the NHL over the previous three seasons can’t find its mojo. The zone entries aren’t as clean as they’ve always been, the passing is not as accurate, and the ability to use Hyman down low has faded.
It’s a weapon the Oilers have come to count on, and it will be top of mind in the coaches’ office on Monday.
“We’ll evaluate it,” Knoblauch promised. “We’ll look at it.”
Hyman Dry, Man
Hyman had another four shots on goal in Dallas after launching five at Juuse Saros in Nashville on Thursday. But still, no goals and no points.
“We’re pretty process oriented,” he said. “So if we keep going there, if we keep getting those chances around the net, they’re going to eventually fall. I just can’t get frustrated. Just keep going there and they’ll go in.”
Hyman has 14 shots on goal this season and, obviously, a zero per cent shooting percentage. Last season, he scored 54 goals and had a shooting percentage of 18.6 per cent. His lifetime shooting percentage is 13.6 per cent.
He knows the aforementioned power play could have won this game for Edmonton, instead of watching the Stars score late in the second period for a lead they would never relinquish. It was the difference in the game.
“We didn’t score on our power plays. They scored on their solo one at the end of the second,” Hyman said. “So they went into the third with a lead.”
OIL SPILLS — Edmonton won 63 per cent of faceoffs Saturday, led by Nugent-Hopkins (13-and-2) and Draisaitl (14-and-4) …
The Stars have gone two-for-18 on the power play this season, while the Oilers have gone one-for-15. Both teams were among the best in the NHL in PP per cent last season. Dallas finished sixth in the league last season on the PP (24.2 per cent) while Edmonton was fourth (26.3 per cent) … Roope Hintz (1-2-3) had a three-point afternoon for Dallas, while Steve Duchene scored a pair … The Oilers spent the night in Dallas, flying home Sunday. They get Carolina (Tuesday) and Pittsburgh (Friday) at home this week.