Oilers' GM defends his goaltenders, shifts blame elsewhere
Photo credit: Brad Penner - Imagn Images
Oilers' GM Stan Bowman spoke with Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now and commented on how goaltending isn't to blame with the team's sluggish start to the year.
Edmonton currently sits 5th in the Pacific Division with a record of 9-8-4 (22 points), and a goal differential on minus-12. Though the team is 7th in goals for (63), it ranks 29th in goals against (75).
GM points to bad defense as problem with club
The defence, they haven't played a consistent game this year. And I think that's probably the biggest disappointment so far. The play of our D is really important in getting the rest of our game going.
When we struggle to break the puck out cleanly, we end up disjointed a little bit. We're not connected as a group. We've heard our players talk about that. It starts with the back and being able to be clean with the puck, sometimes under-handle it, move it, and get it going.
- Stan Bowman
When we struggle to break the puck out cleanly, we end up disjointed a little bit. We're not connected as a group. We've heard our players talk about that. It starts with the back and being able to be clean with the puck, sometimes under-handle it, move it, and get it going.
- Stan Bowman
Except, if you follow the Oilers, you know defense is only a small part of the problem. Edmonton relies on McDavid and Draisaitl to do most of its scoring, and for the most part it has. On nights when it doesn't, secondary scoring hasn't been available.
It is true that defense hasn't been elite this season and are causing its share of miscues and lapses in the d-zone. This is not new to the Oilers; Bouchard is known for his turnovers and focus on offense.
But the team has always found a way to win in the past, even with Bouchard's mistakes.
Except, when the defense makes a mistake, you need the goalie to make a save; not always, of course, but timely ones. Edmonton has not been getting timely goaltending, despite what Stan Bowman believes:
The goaltending, it does get a lot of attention in Edmonton, for sure, I feel like that's the question we get the most. Skinner, in particular, I think, has been pretty solid this year. He's given us a lot of good performances... Skinner's trending in the right direction.
He's shown us that he can win some games like that game in New York...Other nights, even the last game in Carolina, I thought he did stand tall under some pressure from a good team.
He's shown us that he can win some games like that game in New York...Other nights, even the last game in Carolina, I thought he did stand tall under some pressure from a good team.
If 5th in the Pacific is trending the right way, then the GM is absolutely correct. But I think a change in the goal position is a good place to start, if you're hoping to salvage the season.
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