Edmonton Oilers: Secondary Scoring Need To Make Up For Defense

The Edmonton Oilers have lost two straight road games in a back-to-back scenario. Can they get a win tomorrow to end the road trip on a high note?

In the last two days, the Edmonton Oilers suffered two ugly losses on the road. A lot of experts expected that to happen not only because of the back-to-back game scenario. It was also the opponents that the Oilers faced in those games. After beating the Red Wings on Saturday night, everyone knew that facing off against the Stanley Cup Champions and the best team in the NHL in two straight games was extremely difficult.

The Washington Capitals did suffer a loss to the Oilers a few weeks ago and were chomping at the bit for another crack at them. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, they wanted to maintain their dominance over the entire league.

The main issue that the Edmonton Oilers had in these two losses was in their 5-on-5 play. That right there was surprising especially since how well it’s been going the past few weeks. A lot of that, unfortunately, falls on the blue line where a lot of the defensemen were a minus on the ice in those games.

Guys like Kris Russell and Darnell Nurse have had an up and down year so far and last night’s game is a culmination of that. It seems like their best games on the ice is when they don’t play a factor when the opposition doesn’t beat them for a score, which is sad.

That’s why developing a scoring threat from the other lines is vital for the Edmonton Oilers survival. Losing to two elite teams is fine but how they lost is another matter. If the Oilers lost in a competitive way that would be one thing.

But getting dismantled by the Lightning 5-2 would put a bad taste in anybody’s mouth. So if the blue line isn’t going to be a difference maker for the team, at least the other lines that don’t have Connor McDavid or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have to make a dent in these games.

Next opportunity they have is tomorrow against the Florida Panthers.