3 Takeaways as Oilers blanked 3-0 by Rangers

3) What’s up with Nurse, Ekholm and Bouchard?

Following on from Skinner keeping the score respectable, both he and Campbell do seem to have been left out to dry too many times already this season. While we won’t go as far as blaming the new defensive zone system as such, something just isn’t vibing on the blue line.

Players expected to lead the defensive play, are just not getting it done. Ekholm hasn’t been his usual reliable, strong presence, while Evan Bouchard has undoubtedly taken a step back from the progress he displayed last season.

At least both players were a +0 on Thursday night, although this doesn’t take away from the fact Ekholm in particular was poor once more. Regardless, Darnell Nurse continued with his own struggles.

Let’s be clear in stating that Nurse (as well as Ekholm and Bouchard), continues to put the effort in. However, it is proving to be fruitless to this point, as painfully shown on Thursday night versus the Rangers.

First up, the 2013 seventh overall draft pick must take the majority of the blame for the visitors’ second goal. He effectively blocked Skinner’s view, giving the goaltender no chance to see Braden Schneider’s shot until it was too late.

Then, Nurse didn’t do enough to stop a key pass deep in the defensive zone, which set up Alexis Lafrenière to fire home the decisive third goal. As much as he’s clearly a better defenceman than he showed versus the Rangers, it didn’t matter on the night.

The 28-year-old knows it starts with the blue line when it comes to defence, but added that it has to be a team-wide effort. Speaking to the media postgame, he said:

"“I’ve been here for nine years, and it’s always the D. For us, we do have to be better. We can’t be relying on our goaltenders to make five, six two-on-one saves a night. (We) can’t be putting our partners in bad spots, but at the same point there’s six guys on the ice at all times, and we’ve got to be out there helping each other.”"

Quote of the day

Hyman was asked about accountability and how the process works for the Oilers. He said:

"“This league is too tight, that nothing gets done without putting in the work first. And that’s not on the coaches or management, it’s just on the guys in the locker room coming in and showing up and going out there and playing. There’s no finger pointing here, we have no time to feel sorry for ourselves.”"

Overall, the Oilers remain confident in their abilities, but something has to give soon. While it remains a long-shot, if McDavid can indeed return for Sunday’s Heritage Classic, it would provide a much-need boost to the struggling team.