Oilers still searching for their game after low-excitement loss to Kraken

Thereâ€s low event hockey, and then thereâ€s no event hockey.

After a six-goal outburst against the Montreal Canadiens Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers appeared to revert to their former selves — a low-scoring, low-event, low-excitement unit that found a way to lose to the Seattle Kraken in a 3-2 snoozer Saturday night in Seattle.

The head coach saw promise in the performance however, on a night where the high danger chances were scored 9-4 in the Oilers†favour, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“There were a lot of things I liked. We had more scoring chances than (in all) but one game this year,†said Knoblauch, who was more concerned with his teamâ€s defensive posture. “Whether it was a bad pinch or a forward not coming back … thatâ€s where Seattle has all of their chances.â€

Ex-Oiler Jordan Eberle scored twice, and the Oilers couldnâ€t find a goal from its entire forward corps. Theyâ€ll roll over the border into Vancouver for a date with the Canucks Sunday, ending an eight-game stretch in which Edmonton played in eight different cities.

“Thereâ€s no secret formula, no secret solution. Itâ€s just putting in the hard work,†said Darnell Nurse, whose team is 4-4-2 and still searching for its game. “For us, itâ€s the connectiveness we talk about — five players all over the ice. Work ethic, winning our battles — the cliché things.â€

The road games are stacking up on these Oilers, to be fair. They played five games in the Eastern time zone, one at home in the Mountain time zone, and now close out this stretch with games in the Pacific time zone at Seattle and Vancouver.

What resulted was yet another two-goal outing for an Oilers team that’s had trouble finding the net this season. Evan Bouchard ripped home his first of the year on the power play, and Nurse scored his first on a rare net-front deflection for the 3-2 goal.

Thatâ€s two goals by defencemen, while the 12 forwards were shut out — with only Leon Draisaitl (0-2-2) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0-1-1) recording points.

Meanwhile, all three Seattle goals came off the rush, while the Oilers couldnâ€t buy a goal in that fashion.

“Our intensity was better, our execution with the puck was better. We created more scoring chances,†Knoblauch said. “But if you canâ€t score off the rush, and theyâ€re scoring off the rush, it makes a big difference.â€

One and (hopefully not) done

Oilers fans held a lot of hope that a pair of 21-year-old wingers could step into the lineup and help offensively. But so far Ike Howard and Matt Savoie — despite both having their chance to start games on Connor McDavidâ€s wing — have been less than productive at one point apiece.

Savoie started Thursdayâ€s game against the Montreal Canadiens on a line with McDavid and Draisaitl, but was long gone from that unit when head coach Kris Knoblauch blew his lines up midway through an unsatisfactory Oilers effort.

On Saturday in Seattle it was Howardâ€s turn, as he opened on a unit with McDavid and right winger Andrew Mangiapane. By the time the third period began however, Howard had been replaced by Jack Roslovic, as Knoblauch continued his search for a connected, goal-scoring lineup in a season that has given him precious little of that.

“Iâ€m not over-thinking it, to be honest. Just excited to get out there and play a good game,†a hopeful Howard said before the game.

Howard has a goal, is minus-1 and has nine shots on target over his first eight NHL games. Heâ€s a shooter, you can see that. But thereâ€s so much more that has to happen at this level in order to find yourself in prime scoring position, with time and space to use his shot.

“Itâ€s a long process to get to where I want to be, but itâ€s been feeling good. Itâ€s gotten better each game,†Howard said. “Iâ€ve always had that shooterâ€s instinct. Maybe itâ€s something youâ€re born with. I love to shoot pucks, get good looks, score goals.â€

His coach sees progress, even if he thought Rosolovic had more going in his game Saturday.

“Things early on were closing on him fast. It felt like he didnâ€t have an out with the puck, or didnâ€t know what the next play was,†Knoblauch said of Howard. “Now, he seems confident. Things arenâ€t closing, and heâ€s able to make the next play.â€

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