More than two weeks have passed since the Edmonton Oilers relieved head coach Jay Woodcroft of his duties and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, who has now had a bit of time to begin making an impact.
Edmonton has already played seven games under its new bench boss, going 4-3-0. The Oilers were victorious in their first two games with Knoblauch at the helm, then lost three straight contests, before winning their last two games in dominant fashion, 5-0 over the Washington Capitals in D.C. on Friday (Nov. 24) and 8-2 against the Anaheim Ducks at home on Sunday (Nov. 26).
There has been much discussion about whether Oilers general manager and president of hockey operations Ken Holland and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson made the right call changing coaches. While the Oilers struggled badly out of the gate, winning just two of the first 12 games on their 2023-24 schedule, Woodcroft has the best winning percentage among coaches in franchise history and his track record of success with this particular group of players suggests he could have coached them out of their funk.
Time will tell whether it was wise to replace Woodcroft with Knoblauch, a 45-year-old who until Nov. 12 had never held the position of head coach in the NHL. But what can be said about the new bench boss is that since he took over, the Oilers have made some positive strides. Here’s a look at three of them.
Oilers are Effective on Special Teams
In 13 games with Woodcroft behind the bench, the Oilers had a penalty kill of just 70 percent, which at the time of the coaching change ranked third worst in the NHL, while their power-play was clicking at 23.9 percent.
Over Knoblauch’s seven games, the Oilers’ penalty kill is up to 89.7 percent, which ranks top 10 in the NHL since Nov. 12. Edmonton is currently on a three-game streak of not allowing a power-play goal. Under Woodcroft, the Oilers only had three games total in which they didn’t allow a power-play goal.
The Oilers’ power play has also seen an uptick, converting at 28.6 percent with Knoblauch in charge, and has accounted for five goals over the last two games (three in Washington, two against the Ducks).
Oilers are Finishing Games Strong
Under Woodcroft this season, the Oilers outscored their opponents by an average of 0.31 goals (1.46 for; 1.15 against) in the first period. But in the second and third periods combined, Edmonton was outscored by 1.46 goals (1.23 for; 2.69 against) under Woodcroft.
Since the coaching change, the Oilers have continued to outscore the opposition at about the same rate, an average of 0.28 goals (1.71 for; 1.43 against) in the first period. But over the second and third periods, they’ve outscored opponents by 0.71 goals (2.57 for; 1.86 against). That’s a turnaround of 2.17 goals over the final 40 minutes with Knoblauch in charge.
Under Woodcroft, Edmonton did not win a single game when the opponent scored first, going 0-5. With Knoblauch at the helm, the Oilers actually have a winning record (2-1) when the opponent scores first. In his second game, against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 15, Edmonton won for the first time this season when trailing in the third period, storming back from down 3-1 with less than seven minutes remaining to win 4-3 in overtime.
Oilers’ Superstars are Producing
Edmonton’s dynamic duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who combined for 116 goals and 165 assists in 2022-23, began this season producing at levels far below even the most conservative of expectations.
When the axe fell on Woodcroft, Draisaitl had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) through 13 games, and had scored just once in the prior 10 games. McDavid was struggling even more: the five-time Art Ross Trophy recipient had recorded just 10 points, was mired in an eight-game goalless drought, and had only one point in the previous five games, the worst such stretch of his career.
Since the change, Draisaitl has four goals and nine assists, while McDavid has five goals and 10 assists. The captain has broken out big time in the last two games, with four assists against Washington and a goal and four assists versus the Ducks.
It’s an incredible surge for the pair – almost as incredible as how poorly they performed over the opening month: in 13 games under Woodcroft, Draisaitl and McDavid had 25 points between them; with a combined 28 points in seven games under Knoblauch, they’ve already eclipsed that total in barely half the time under Knoblauch.
Much of Edmonton’s improvements under Knoblauch could just be coincidental. There was no way Draisaitl and McDavid – and by extension, the team as a whole – would continue struggling to such a degree. The Oilers could just have easily turned things around under Woodcroft as they have under Knoblauch.
At least, they appear to have turned things around. Those who are suspicious as to whether the Oilers are truly back on track can point out that the four wins under Woodcroft have come against teams with a combined record of 35-33-13 (.512 point percentage). The Oilers will get a chance to answer those doubts tonight (Nov. 28) when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who are tied for the league lead with 31 points from a record of 14-5-3 (.705 point percentage).
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