Oct 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) passes the puck towards the Nashville Predators through the second interval at Bridgestone Enviornment. Obligatory Credit score: Steve Roberts-Imagn Photos A pair of struggling groups determined to alter their fortunes will hit the ice when the Edmonton Oilers play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
Each the Oilers and Penguins are on a quest to rebound from disappointing extra-time setbacks of their final outing.
The Penguins arrive after surrendering a lead within the closing minute of regulation en path to a 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, whereas the Oilers wasted a two-goal third-period lead in a 3-2 additional time loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that very same night.
Edmonton, which got here into the season with excessive hopes after reaching Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Remaining, has solely two wins in seven video games and owns the third-worst purpose differential within the NHL (minus-13).
Regardless of the struggles, the message is to stay calm. In any case, this can be a group that rebounded from a month-long skid final season earlier than altering its fortunes.
“I am utterly assured in our group,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm mentioned. “I do know it is early within the 12 months and it is a matter of working via it, and I wasn’t anticipating everyone to be firing the place we left off or whatnot. It should take a bit little bit of time, however I do like our group and I feel we’re heading in the right direction.”
The Oilers are surprisingly scuffling with the man-advantage. Their vaunted energy play has scored solely twice this season (2-for-19) and is tied for twenty seventh within the league at 10.5 p.c, and personnel modifications are being tried prior to now couple of practices.
“With the way in which their season has gone, there’s been numerous issues to handle: the ability play, the penalty kill, scoring targets,” coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned. “(The ability play) was one factor that I did not anticipate that we had been going to have issues doing.”
The Penguins, who’re winless in three video games, have their very own considerations, having opened a four-game street journey with consecutive defeats. Nonetheless, they’d each likelihood to win in Calgary.
“Clearly there’s alternative to get higher, however I feel we had been a heck of loads higher than we’ve got been in current video games,” ahead Bryan Rust mentioned. “We did not have large, huge breakdowns like we did within the final three or 4 video games, or no matter it was. So, I feel that we’re positively making strides.”
Though the Penguins wasted a pair of third-period leads, they held momentum for many of the conflict, particularly the third interval. They had been simply unable to search out the insurance coverage purpose whereas outshooting the Flames 38-25 via additional time, nor the successful tally within the shootout.
“We had that five-on-five mentality — go in there and outwork them, get the puck out of the nook — and we rating,” Rust mentioned. “I feel we wanted a bit bit extra of that. It wasn’t there as constantly as we’d have favored. … It is nonetheless a piece in progress, however I feel the intentions are there. I feel we’re making an attempt to play with a bit bit extra tempo. We’re making an attempt to get issues stepping into the best path.”
That mentioned, the Penguins have a obtrusive concern that should be addressed. No group has surrendered extra targets than Pittsburgh, and although goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic confirmed final sport that he stands out as the one who can solidify that place, he was unable to carry the fort to the ultimate buzzer.
“I acquired to do a greater job of staying on pucks and simply bailing us on the market,” Nedeljkovic mentioned. “I imply, it wasn’t a really troublesome shot (on Nazem Kadri’s late game-tying purpose). It wasn’t a really laborious shot or a really well-placed shot. It was only a puck on internet, so, not a lot else to it than that.”
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