'It Was a Weird One': Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm and Kris Knoblauch Are Puzzled by a Very Backwards Third Period
The Edmonton Oilers threw everything at the net, including the kitchen sink.
EDMONTON -- Shots were a-plenty but the goals were not - at least for the Edmonton Oilers. The Minnesota Wild Capitalized on their chances despite getting taken to the woodshed on the shot-clock.
43-20.
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The final shot tally was in favor of the Oilers, but they couldn't put enough pucks past Filip Gustavsson. This isn't the first time that they have thrown everything they can muster at the net but still come up a day late and a dollar short where it really matters - goals.
The Oilers have eclipsed 40 shots in 12 games (before tonight) during the 2023-24 season - they have only won four of those games. Stranger still, three of those four wins came in January.
It's a strange trend that needs to end.
To put things into perspective - the Oilers had 24 shots in the third period alone, which was more than the Wild had the entire game. The difference? The Wild scored four goals on those 20 shots while the Oilers only put up two.
"I thought it was a weird one," Connor McDavid explained to the media after the loss. "I thought it was as flat of a first period as we've had. [In the] second we were able to generate a little bit of momentum, but the PK [penalty kill] helped with that."
"I thought our best period was the third period."
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McDavid wasn't the only one impressed by the effort of the team. Mattias Ekholm echoed McDavid's thoughts on the team's performance, "I honestly didn't think we played our best game in the first, I thought we were a bit flat. I thought from that first period on we were dominating the game."
Ultimately the loss came as a result of bad reads as well as good plays from the Wild's top players. The loss can't be completely pinned on the goaltending.
"There was these odd mistakes or these odd rushes that they had that they capitalized on and that's on us to be better."
Kris Knoblauch was more frustrated at the lack of pucks in the back of the net for the Oilers than the ones that found their way past Calvin Pickard.
Knoblauch told the press, "I think we did a lot of good things, one thing that I didn't think we did well was finish."
When asked if the Oilers needed a key save in the third period Knoblauch expressed his unwavering support for his backup goaltender. "I put nothing on the goaltender. Usually if I say that we need a key save I'm suggesting he could have played better, and I don't think that at all."
Whatever was ailing the Oilers during last night's game, they have an opportunity to put it out of their minds by the time they leave the rink. Saturday night will feature the latest Battle of Alberta - the perfect moment to get back in the saddle and put together the 60 minute effort they have been craving since the All-Star break.
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