Report reveals possible reason for Oilers' slow start to the season
Photo credit: Perry Nelson - Imagn Images
Edmonton has struggled on the penalty kill in its first 15 games, which according to reports, has contributed to the team's sluggish start this year.
Most of the talk this season has focussed around Edmonton's low-scoring and poor goaltending, both of which have contributed to losing games.
You can go deeper still and look at blown leads and defensive mishaps, from the top-blueliners and the top-goalie, who's allowed soft goals when a save could have been the difference between a win and a loss.
Inefficient penalty kill increasing top-players ice-time
Another factor that's been discussed at length is McDavid's and Draisaitl's increased ice-time, accounted for in part by the superstars play on the PK unit.
Yet, the PK has not been good for Edmonton thus far, sitting around the middle of the league in efficiency, according to Moneypuck through November 6, with the league average kill-rate being 79.4%.
Edmonton's PK rate is below league average with 77.6%, as has been its goaltending while shorthanded. Skinner ranks 18th in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, for goalies with at least five starts, while Calvin Pickard ranks 41st, or third worst in the NHL.
A change in strategy, perhaps to a more aggressive kill, could work to their advantage, allowing for an Oilers' counterattack. With players like McDavid and Draisaitl on the PK, this strategy could work.
The obvious fix to a struggling PK, however, is for the goalie to make more saves, though the group on the ice would have to limit the amount of grade-A chances against, which according to stats, has also been a problem. They've allowed 26% more high-danger chances against this year.
With Alec Regula and Mattias Janmark nearing a return, the solution could be just around the corner.
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