Frustrated Ryan O'Reilly pulls no punches after another Predators loss, questioning his own play and the team's inability to secure wins.
Ryan O'Reilly did not mince words following the Nashville Predators' 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
After going up 1-0 in the first period, off a goal from O'Reilly, the Predators' offense went cold as Philadelphia scored three unanswered goals to win the game. Nashville also recorded just four shots in the third period.
"It's nice to have the puck in the offensive zone, but when you don't win games, it's disappointing," O'Reilly said. "I'm pissed off. We don't win games. It's as simple as that. It's better than defending the whole time...I don't know what to say. I'm supportive of myself and supportive of the group.
"There are good things, but we've got to win games."
O'Reilly was extremely critical of his own performance, even going as far as to say that he had "only one good season" in the NHL. Statistically, O'Reilly has been one of the few things going right for the Predators, with 10 points in 16 games.
"I know for myself, (I'm) the No. 1 center and I'm turning over the puck," O'Reilly said. "I can't make a 60-foot pass to save my life. You're not going to have much success if I'm playing pathetic like that.
"I've had one good year in my career. I don't have answer, that's for sure."
After starting off the season with a 2-0-1 record, the Predators have gone 3-7-3 over their last 13 games and are riding a three-game losing streak.
Nothing has really changed over the last two seasons under head coach Andrew Brunette, as the Predators were 6-10-0 through their first 16 games during the 2023-24 season and 5-9-2 through their first 16 games during the 2024-25 season.
Now sitting at 5-7-4, things haven't been much better than last season. Players and Brunette have emphasized that the team has been putting in the effort to improve, but frustrations persist for everyone.
"I know these last few games I've been making mistakes left and right that I normally don't make," O'Reilly said. "You can't expect to win like that. There's frustration everywhere, but a lot of guys are working and doing what they can."
The Predators have also left points on the table in four overtime losses this season, two of which have come in the last three games. Nashville is currently tied for second place for most overtime losses in the league.
It also has the third-highest goals allowed in the league, with 54, and has the sixth-lowest goals for total in the league, with 40.
The Predators have two more games left against the Dallas Stars at home on Saturday and against the Rangers in New York before traveling to Stockholm, Sweden, to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a pair of games.
Brunette mentioned that the scenery change could be used as a reset for the team.
"For us, it's been a day-to-day process in a crazy stretch of games," Brunette said. "It'll be nice to be there (Sweden). I think it'll be a good opportunity for the team to bond, get away a little bit and clear your head a little bit. The other part is we have to get there on the right foot."