Oilers coach drops hardest personal criticism on his roster after loss to Columbus
Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers Raw
The absolute worst thing a hockey coach can call their team is «soft», and that's the word Knoblauch used to describe his defence last night.
The Oilers defence entered the season as arguably one of the strongest groups in the NHL on paper, but they've left a lot to be desired so far. One area they're especially failing is a with defending the net-front.
Oilere coach Knoblauch calls his defensive coverage soft
Calling a team soft is a direct criticism of the effort level and dedication to win. Battling for net front position is the exact kind of hard physical plays that are absolutely needed to win.
However, fans and the coach have been seeing too many Oilers defenceman let the opposition get into the slot without any pushback.
I thought we were a little too soft around the net.
Whether they were deflecting pucks or getting inside of us, multiple goals like that (We have to) make it harder for them to get inside position on us, and too often, they were left alone in front of the net with Picks by himself.
- Coach Knoblauch
Whether they were deflecting pucks or getting inside of us, multiple goals like that (We have to) make it harder for them to get inside position on us, and too often, they were left alone in front of the net with Picks by himself.
- Coach Knoblauch
There was at least 3 goals against last night that involved soft coverage from the Oilers defence in the slot.
Evan Bouchard failed to take his man to the net on the second goal, resulting in an easy tap-in.
Jake Walman allowed Adam Fantilli to walk out in front of the net and beat Pickard. This is a direct example of a time where Walman should've taken the body to stop the path to the net.
These are just a few examples of what's been a problem all year. The Oilers defence needs to be far more committed to defending the inner slot, especially when their goaltenders aren't making many extra saves.
Coach Knoblauch calling the group soft should be a significant wake up call for the defence. We'll see if they respond Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
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