Oilers race to two-goal lead in Buffalo but lose 3-2 because of missed opportunities and costly mistakes

It’s only 4 PM MT, but we’re already hours out from the Oilers’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and my anger has yet to subside. Even though it was an early puck drop, Edmonton got the quick start they needed, including a pair of goals that set them up for success, but they couldn’t find a way to close the game out. Instead, they got almost flatter as the game wore on and missed some major opportunities to put this thing to bed, leaving the door open for Buffalo to score two straight and push the game to extra time.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS

Is anyone else having a hard time understanding what’s going on with the power play? A far cry from the lethal PP1 unit we’ve gotten used to watching, the Oilers struggled to generate much of anything on the three chances they got on the man advantage. Even though getting shutout happens from time to time, the bigger problem was that the Oilers generated next to nothing despite six full minutes on the power play.

It’s almost like they need to come up with a few fresh ideas because the Sabres were the latest opponent that basically eliminated the cross-ice pass to Draisaitl for the one-timer. And yet, even though that play wasn’t working for them, the boys kept going back to the well to try and force it through anyway. To their credit, the Sabres didn’t give the Oilers a lane to make that play. The problem, as I see it, is that the Oilers didn’t recognize that their cross-ice pass was closed off and also that they didn’t seem to have much of a Plan B.

SO MANY WASTED OPPORTUNITIES

Outside of the power play chances that the Oilers couldn’t convert, they also missed out on plenty of quality chances to score. Yes, we absolutely have to give Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen credit for the performance he put down for the Sabres between the pipes, but it’s hard to ignore some of the opportunities that the Oilers missed because of overpassing/overthinking.

I’m thinking specifically of the handful of odd-man rushes the boys got over the course of 60 minutes that didn’t even result in a shot on goal. There was a 3-on-1 where they’d didn’t get a shot, and at least a trio of 3-on-2s that suffered the same result. As much as I love a beautiful passing play, it’s equally as nice to see the Oilers fire shots on net and work to clean up any garbage that’s left over.

Seeing how well the opposing goaltender was playing, I just thought the Oilers would have been better served trying to simplify their game rather than trying to beat him by passing the puck into the net. From my side of the computer screen, that makes two games in a row where the Oilers tried to get too cute on offence and couldn’t get more than two goals on the board. When the boys shoot, crash the net, and grind for goals, they’re a whole lot more effective than when they try to get everyone done on the rush. Today’s game was just the latest example.

KEEP THE 2ND LINE TOGETHER FOREVER

After seeing the newly reformed line of Leon Draisaitl, Ryan McLeod, and Warren Foegele pick up a goal only 29 seconds into the first period, it should be enough to convince Kris Knoblauch to keep that trio together forever. It seems like every time they play together, that trio finds a way of making things happen.

With speed to burn on the wings and Leon Draisaitl making magic down the middle, the mix on this line is giving the opposition fits, and I hope they get more than a few games to see if they can build upon the obvious chemistry. I personally believe that the Oilers are a better team when McDavid and Draisaitl are on separate lines, but the only way that happens is if Knobby can give each guy some wingers they can work with.

In McLeod and Foegele, Draisaitl has two wingers who seem to understand how to play with him and where they should be to try and be successful. Despite only scoring one goal at even strength, they easily could have had two or three with a little bit of luck. If these three can keep producing chances, I see no reason why the coaches shouldn’t give them some leash to see what they can do.

OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING