Matt Savoie scoring his first NHL goal should have been the story. The 21-year-old crashing the net, Adam Henrique's shot deflecting off his skate and past Igor Shesterkin on the power play—that's a moment a kid remembers forever. The kind of thing that gets framed and hung in basements and retold at family dinners years later.

Instead, it's another footnote in another overtime loss for the Edmonton Oilers. Another game where they had a lead and couldn't hold it. Another night where the effort came in spurts instead of sustained excellence. Another reminder that here we are in late October, and this team is still trying to figure out how to clean things up.

"It's just self inflicting mistakes. That's all it is," began Leon Draisaitl. "It's nothing magical that the other teams are doing. It's just (that) we're beating ourselves right now. So, yeah, something we have to clean up."

Savoie's goal came 8:48 into the second period with one second left on the power play. Henrique dove for his own rebound, and the puck deflected off Savoie's skate and in. Not pretty, but they don't ask how. The 21-year-old became the fourth different Oilers player this season to score their first NHL goal, joining Noah Philp, Isaac Howard, and David Tomasek. 

Darnell Nurse made it 3-1 just 1:36 later when his shot from a sharp angle sat on Shesterkin's pad as he drifted into the net. Officials reviewed it and determined the puck completely crossed the line. A two-goal lead heading into the third period against a Rangers team that's been struggling. At home. Everything you need to close out a win.

Except the Oilers couldn't do it.

The Rangers made it 3-2 at 8:18 of the third when Braden Schneider pounced on a rebound. Then they tied it. Then Edmonton got a power play with 40 seconds left in regulation—a chance to win it right there—and couldn't convert. The Rangers killed the rest of the penalty in overtime and J.T. Miller ended it shortly after.

RNH: Almost 1000 Games of Being Exactly What the Oilers Needed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins receiving a silver stick for 1,000 NHL games isn't exactly the newsworthy type stories typically circulating around the Edmonton Oilers this time of year, but it's an expected milestone nonetheless. It's a testament to loyalty, adaptation, and the kind of quiet excellence that doesn't make headlines but absolutely makes hockey teams work.

This is the story of the Oilers' season so far. Flashes of what they're capable of followed by breakdowns that erase the good work. Savoie scores his first goal. Nurse scores twice. The power play is humming. Then they give up three straight and lose in overtime. Three of their last four games have ended in losses. The record is 5-4-3, which sounds respectable until you realize how many points they've left on the table.

The game isn't working right now. Not consistently. Not for a full 60 minutes. Players who should be reliable are all over the place. Evan Bouchard threw an ill-advised pass that Jonny Brodzinski intercepted for a breakaway goal 5:44 into the first period. That's the kind of mistake you can't make at this level, and Bouchard's been making them too often this season.

The defensive structure that got them to the Cup Final last season feels shaky. The ability to protect leads feels non-existent. The urgency to play a full game instead of waiting until they're desperate seems to come and go randomly. Here we are approaching November, and the message is still about needing to clean things up.

Oilers Consistently Inconsistent in 4-3 Overtime Loss to Rangers Edmonton squandered a lead, surrendering a late comeback and overtime winner. Their inconsistency resurfaces, forcing a return to the drawing board.

“We have to hold all our players accountable,” continued Kris Knoblauch. “There's a fine line on mistakes that periodically happen, because no player is going to play a perfect game. There's always going to be a mistake.

“But if there's an accumulation of mistakes that are costing us regularly, then yes, we need to hold everyone accountable.”

That shouldn't be the conversation in late October for a team thinking they can win the Stanley Cup. Systems should be figured out by now. Execution should be consistent. Details should be sharp. Instead, the Oilers are still searching for their game, still talking about needing to be better, still blowing leads at home to teams they should be handling.

Oilers’ Zach Hyman Close To Return, But Not Ready For Saturday Edmonton’s top winger is feeling “really good” and close to a return, but the team’s medical staff isn’t ready to clear him just yet.

Savoie's first goal got overshadowed by another loss, which feels fitting for where this team is right now. Good things happen—young players scoring first goals, Nurse playing well, the power play clicking—but they get buried under the frustration of not being able to finish games. The moments that should feel celebratory get tainted by the reality that nothing's clicking consistently enough to actually win when it matters.

There's talent here. McDavid and Draisaitl are still elite and no one doubts that. The roster has the pieces. But talent without execution is just wasted potential, and right now the Oilers are wasting a lot of potential. They're collecting participation points in overtime losses when they should be banking regulation wins.

Savoie will remember his first goal. The puck deflecting off his skate, the celebration, the moment when he officially became an NHL goal scorer. He'll remember it happened in a loss too, which is unfortunate but appropriate for how this season has gone so far.

Oilers' Coach Intends To Double-Shift Deserving Forward vs Rangers Kris Knoblauch plans to elevate depth forwards, like Vasily Podkolzin, by double-shifting them when the Oilers go 11-7.

The Oilers needed to clean things up two weeks ago. They still need to clean things up now. The question is whether they'll actually do it or if we'll be having this same conversation in mid-November while they keep treading water in the standings.

Matt Savoie scored his first NHL goal. The Oilers blew another lead and lost in overtime. That's the season in a nutshell—moments worth celebrating buried under the frustration of a team that still can't figure out how to play 60 minutes of clean, disciplined hockey.

And here we are in late October, still searching.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.   Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.