Oilers look for more offence, fewer penalties on upcoming road trip

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit and Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid battle for the puck during NHL action in Edmonton, on Feb. 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press) (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Adages in sports, while overused, convey general truths.

Such as:

• You win some, you lose some;

• Sometimes you play well and don’t win; sometimes you play poorly and win; and

• while home ice is often an advantage, sometimes it’s not.

All apply to the fortunes of the Edmonton Oilers of late.

The National Hockey League team is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games – including a 3-2-1 on a six-game homestand that ended with a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs – but while they’re playing better than .500 hockey, it’s not as, shall we say, sterling as their overall record since late November.

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The Oilers have an 11-5-2 record since Christmas and a 21-7-2 record since American Thanksgiving on Nov. 28 – the former the sixth-best run in the NHL, the latter the best.

Star Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Monday morning after practice that scoring has proven more difficult for the team recently and not because they haven’t been getting chances.

“We’re getting quality looks,” he told reporters, adding his team has been defending “pretty well” to help the Oilers “find ways to win games.”

“It’s just the way it goes sometimes, it’s not going in.

“You see that around the league. I feel like offence has been down everywhere, but it’s not for a lack of effort. It’s not for a lack of getting looks. I feel like we get looks every night, and we’re finding a way to get two or three every night, but we haven’t had one of those (games) where you break it open.”

Head coach Kris Knoblauch said penalties early in games and the resulting Oilers' special-teams play has made a difference in recent games.

“I think a lot of our trailing (in games) has been (from) taking more penalties than we usually do, and then also the (penalty killing) not being quite as good as it is later in the game,” Knoblauch told media.

“That’s the importance of our start. I think five-on-five, it’s been good, but I think the special teams have been the issue.”

Leaving Edmonton for a two-game road trip this week that starts Tuesday should be beneficial, Knoblauch said.

“Getting back on the road and changing things up is probably good for us,” he said.

The Oilers' three games this week – Tuesday in St. Louis against the Blues, Wednesday in Chicago against the Blackhawks and Friday at home against the Colorado Avalanche – are their last before the NHL takes a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament featuring what are essentially NHL all-star squads representing Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland in lieu of the annual all-star game.

They return to action on Feb. 22 in Philadelphia to begin a five-game eastern U.S. trip before returning home March 4 to face the Anaheim Ducks.

Early word on Klingberg: solid

Two games into his tenure with the Oilers, John Klingberg is fitting in on the blueline.

The 31-year-old defenceman who once starred for the Dallas Stars, including during their Stanley Cup final appearance in 2020, and made his Oilers debut on Thursday in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings has “played two really solid games” for Edmonton so far, McDavid said.

“(He’s been) creating looks offensively. He’s been good defensively,” the captain said. “It’s not easy to jump into a season after missing so much time, and I thought he’s done a really good job.”

Klingberg signed with the Oilers on Jan. 17 after missing 14 months of NHL action due to hip surgery while a member of the Maple Leafs.

Knoblauch said the Swedish defenceman was pressed into more action Saturday against Toronto because Mattias Ekholm was out of the lineup and played well given the circumstances.

“We relied on him quite a bit with Ekholm being out,” Knoblauch said. “(His) puck play I think is outstanding. I think (he’s) getting used to the speed, and that’s mostly (while) defending. Moving the puck, he’s been great.

“For the situation he’s in, I think he’s been doing a really good job.”