The Edmonton Oilers have officially gone 1-3-0 at this point in time to start the regular season. Obviously, they have a few problems that need to be addressed but at the end of the day, those will hopefully be answered over time. In their four home games, it didn’t take long to see what some of their early issues have been so far this season.
From a lack of scoring, too much inconsistency in Power Play situations, and not enough sense of urgency when it comes to overall execution, the Oilers need to tweak a few things soon. Of course, there’s also a chance that maybe, just maybe, them hitting the road could prove to be the spark they need to change things up a bit.
In an article written by Rory Boylen for Sportsnet, head coach Dave Tippett feels that perhaps the upcoming road trip the Oilers are about to embark on might just help the team right the ship. Here’s what he said about the upcoming slate of road games:
"“I think it’ll be good for our team to go on the road myself,” Tippett said. “Just hopefully a change of atmosphere or change of arena and get out on the road and play some strong road hockey and find a way to win.”"
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The Edmonton Oilers will face some tough road games ahead
On the schedule in these road games are two matchups against the Toronto Maple Leafs and then two more against the Winnipeg Jets.
Needless to say, the Oilers will undoubtedly have their hands full against the Maple Leafs who are currently the cream of the crop in the North Division. The Jets are in the middle of the pack, and of course, the Oilers are towards the bottom for now.
One has to look at Tippett’s comments and realize that he does have a point. The Oilers have lost their last two games thanks to the Montreal Canadiens and are likely going through some demoralizing feelings as a team.
Of course, winning fixes everything and even though the odds are against the Oilers heading into their next four road games, progress might come in little doses, even in losses. Perhaps the Oilers can figure out exactly what is messing up their lack of execution, especially in Power Play situations. Even if the Oilers only win a game or two in these upcoming road game adventures, if they can show some kind of progress in these major areas of need, that can help set things up nicely as the season progresses.
Overall, it’ll be interesting to see how the Oilers stack up against the Maple Leafs and Jets, respectively. Here’s to hoping they bounce back on the road and tighten up where it matters most. In the grand scheme of things, you won’t win many hockey games if you’re not effectively shooting and scoring, especially against better teams.