Oilers Coach Addresses Evan Bouchard's Costly Mistake in Loss to Sabres

The Edmonton Oilers dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, and one play in the second period became the center of the postgame talk. Evan Bouchard’s turnover that led to Tage Thompson’s goal.

Thompson’s goal at 11:03 of the second period pushed Buffalo’s lead to 2-0. He stripped Bouchard behind the net, cut to the front, and beat Stuart Skinner from close range.

A reporter asked how a coach handles a mistake of that size. Responding to this, head coach Kris Knoblauch addressed it in a calm tone. He said he keeps the focus on learning, not punishment.

"Mostly a conversation the next day about what had happened on the play, you know, to tear a strip off them in between periods or on the bench, I don't think it is productive," Knoblauch said. "He knows he makes some mistake. He knows that that's not the right play.

"And you know it'd be a - different if Evan didn't care, if Evan didn't feel that - he believed that he didn't make a mistake, but he has pretty good self-awareness that he understands what happened on the play."