The Edmonton Oilers were top-ranked headed into this season. They’ve built a strong group over the last couple of years and are led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, so what could go wrong?
So far, eleven games into the season, the answer is … everything. Connor McDavid, who scored 153 points last season, has rarely scraped a point per game to start the season, and the Oilers have been a mess all around.
They looked to turn things around on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks, but they lost again and was in complete meltdown to finish the game.
The Oilers were down 4-2 midway through the third period when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the superstars who usually stand out via highlight-reel goals and assists, were sent to the penalty box as they both lost their cool.
It’s not often great players like ’McDrai’ even get involved in scrums; they usually just skate in the opposite direction to avoid it. But frustrated with another loss on the horizon, they lost their temper, and it cost the Oilers.
Things started with McDavid and J.T. Miller exchanging shoves close to the Canucks net, and it didn’t take long for Zach Hyman to get involved and take care of Miller, grabbing him. Philip Di Gissupee went after McDavid and took him down to the ice.
Hyman and Miller were sent to the penalty box for roughing, and on the very next shift, McDavid got a roughing penalty after shoving Pius Suter to the ice.
After the roughing from McDavid, all players on the ice got involved in a scrum, where Leon Draisaitl received a misconduct. Draisaitl didn’t do anything dirty, so it’s fair to assume he said something to the referee that gave him the ten minutes in the penalty box.
On the man-advantage, the Vancouver Canucks scored to make it 5-2, and the Canucks eventually won the game 6-2. The Oilers, with the loss, dropped to 2-8-1 and are still second last in the league, only ahead of the San Jose Sharks, who are yet to win a game this year.
