Connor McDavid doesn't usually accept blame publicly. He's too good, too professional, too focused on the next shift to dwell on mistakes. But after the Edmonton Oilers' 6-2 embarrassment against the Pittsburgh Penguins—and following a lackluster 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday—McDavid did something rare: he pointed the finger at himself.
"The sense of urgency in our group has to go up. It starts with me. The last two games haven't been my best," McDavid said.
Let's be honest: the Oilers' loss to the Penguins was embarrassing. It was weird, rough to watch, and a performance that each player on the ice should personally be ashamed of. The Oilers set a new franchise record for three goals against in the shortest amount of time—37 seconds—surpassing the three goals the Blues scored against them in 38 seconds back in 1982. That's not the kind of history you want to make.
Pittsburgh didn't just beat Edmonton. They humiliated them. The Oilers looked slow, disorganized, and completely overwhelmed at times. The defensive breakdowns were glaring. The goaltending had no chance on most of the goals. And offensively, outside of a few bright spots, the team couldn't generate sustained pressure.
McDavid wasn't wrong about the execution issues.
"Our puck play has been bad. Really, really bad. Not really connecting on passes, sloppy, bouncing whatever it is and it looks slow and clunky," added McDavid.
That's an accurate assessment. The Oilers couldn't complete simple passes. They turned the puck over in their own zone repeatedly. They gave Pittsburgh easy transition opportunities that turned into high-danger chances. It was a breakdown at every level—individual mistakes compounding into team-wide chaos.
Kris Knoblauch didn't sugarcoat it either.
"The chances we were giving up were pretty much inexcusable," Knoblauch said.
He's right. Pittsburgh wasn't doing anything revolutionary. They were just capitalizing on Edmonton's mistakes. The Oilers handed them opportunities on a silver platter, and the Penguins—led by Sidney Crosby, who played great—took advantage.
Crosby looked like vintage Crosby. He was reading plays, finding open ice, setting up teammates, and generally doing what Hall of Famers do when given space. The Oilers made his job easy. They gave him time. They gave him room.
But amid the chaos and embarrassment, there was one positive takeaway: Matt Savoie has now scored in back-to-back games. Even when the team around him was playing poorly, his performance alongside Isaac Howard and Jack Roslovic stood out. Savoie's got skill. He's got vision. He's starting to look more comfortable at this level, and that's encouraging for the Oilers' future, even if the present is rough.
Still, one bright spot doesn't erase the broader issues. The Oilers are dealing with injuries and roster limitations—Kasperi Kapanen is still hurt, and the lineup is being held together with duct tape and hope. But that doesn't excuse the lack of effort or the sloppy execution.
McDavid taking accountability is significant. He's the captain. He's the best player in the world. When he says the urgency needs to increase and it starts with him, the rest of the team has to listen. If McDavid's holding himself responsible, everyone else should be doing the same.
The last two games haven't been good enough. The Devils game was tight but uninspired. The Penguins game was a disaster. Edmonton's looked slow and out of sync.
McDavid's right—it needs to change. And it needs to start with him setting the tone. But it can't just be him. The entire roster needs to respond. The defense needs to tighten up. The forwards need to support the puck better. The goaltending needs to give them a chance. Everyone needs to be better.
The Oilers are still in second place in the Pacific, but performances like this won't keep them there. Other teams are hungry. And if Edmonton keeps playing like they did against Pittsburgh, they're going to keep getting embarrassed.
Savoie scoring again is great. Crosby playing well is expected. But the Oilers need to be a lot better than what they showed. McDavid knows it. Knoblauch knows it. The team knows it.
Now they need to do something about it.