Cam Talbot

Edmonton Oilers Show Lack of Effort in Loss to Columbus

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:48 a.m. ET

Fansided, Sammi Silber/FanSided via Oil On Whyte

The Edmonton Oilers got a goal from Oscar Klefbom but ultimately fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Tuesday.

With the victory, Columbus extended their winning streak to 16 games. They sit atop the NHL, and are one win away from breaking a winning streak record.

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Cam Atkinson opened the scoring on a power play in the first period on a bouncing puck that got past Cam Talbot. Edmonton wouldn’t strike until the second period when Oscar Klefbom scored his sixth of the season on a nice feed from Patrick Maroon. About five minutes later, William Karlsson put the Blue Jackets up 2-1 on another power-play goal. Nick Foligno scored early in the third, which eventually led the Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory.

Special Teams

Not only did Edmonton surrender two goals on the penalty kill, but they weren’t energetic on the power-play and couldn’t produce too many chances. Their PP unit is among the best in the NHL, and they should have been energized after the long break. his is no

If Edmonton wants to stay in the playoff race and even fight for the Pacific Division title, they have no excuses on special teams. They need to keep the puck out of their zone on the PK, block shots and cover their man. By the same token, Edmonton needs to stay out of the penalty box. They had four penalties Tuesday, including three in the second period.

As for their power-play, they need to work on drills, passing and making set plays. The Oilers spend too much time trying to look pretty, which ultimately ruins their chances. In order to score, they need to get more pucks on net, and definitely need to work on creating new plays during their practices.

Lack of Effort

Edmonton only had 22 shots on goal through 60 minutes against the Blue Jackets, who finished with 35 shots on goal. This is not acceptable for a team that has some of the best players in the NHL on their roster. With the Oilers struggling to score, there should be no lack of shots; sometimes, the best option is to just get pucks on net.

Not to mention, the lines weren’t clicking and didn’t show great chemistry Tuesday. The Oilers weren’t working as a group, and in the end, it led them to the disappointing loss. Milan Lucic brought it up post-game.

“We can take a page from their book about working together and ebing in sync. That’s when the bounces start going your way.” –Milan Lucic

The Oilers will have another challenge ahead of them when they face Boston Thursday. In that game, expect them to come out with more energy, effort and possibly new lines.