The Edmonton Oilers put in yet another disappointing effort in a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
It was a night that started great for the Oilers as Leon Draisaitl scored a hilariously improbable goal within the first minute of the game. Yet, it was all downhill from there as the Wild dominated just about every facet of the game for the next 59 minutes.
In the end, it was an utter defeat in all three zones of the ice that saw Edmonton drop their third game in four games. Oilers veteran Corey Perry was made available after the game, where he gave an honest answer about the Oilers’ struggles.
“Goalie is seeing too many shots, and we’re trying to be too cute playing the perimeter game and that just doesn’t work,” Perry told reporters. “It’s just a matter of competing night in, night out and some nights we look great when we do it and when we don’t, it’s ugly.”
A lot of talk has been made about this team lingering a bit too much on last season’s rough ending. Losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final will surely have long-term effects on any player, but Perry refuses to accept that as an excuse.
He mentioned that it may have been a factor early in the season, but that it should not be having an effect on this team in November.
“I don’t think you can talk about last year. That’s gone,” Perry said. “That was gone after five games and we turned the page. It’s a new team and it’s different guys in here and we just got to keep pushing.
“We got to find that game and relish it because it’s fun when we’re playing like that.”
Perry, to his credit, did his job tonight, notching a second-period goal that tied the game up at two apiece. However, that was just about all Oilers fans could get up for in the last 40 minutes, spare for a Jeff Skinner goal with about 25 seconds left on the clock.
It’s the inconsistency that is the most frustrating part about this team. On one night, they look like the best team in the world, while on others they look like they barely belong in an NHL game.
The Oilers are still in the thick of the playoff hunt and remain just four points back of the Pacific Division lead. There is still an opportunity for Edmonton to turn this season around and still a very clear path to a division title.
However, the fact that these players are still answering questions about effort level two almost two months into the season is concerning and the only way out of those questions is to start showing up consistently.
They’ll get another chance to do that on Saturday night when the New York Rangers come to town.