3 Takeaways from Oilers’ disappointing 4-1 loss to Stars – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers’ two-game losing streak came to an end on Saturday (Oct. 19) at the American Airlines Center, losing 4-1 to the Dallas Stars in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.

Matt Duchene scored twice for Dallas, who also got goals from Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Leon Draisaitl was the only Oilers player to put the puck behind Stars netminder Jake Oettinger.

The game was scoreless for nearly 40 minutes before Duchene beat Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner on a power play goal with 26 seconds left in the second period. Edmonton didn’t get on the board until 17:38 into the third period when Draisaitl scored his team-best third goal of the season.

Edmonton outshot Dallas 31-24, including 17-4 in the first 30 minutes of the game. The Stars converted their only power play opportunity, and the Oilers went 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

With the loss, Edmonton’s record drops to 2-4-0 in 2024-25. The Oilers had won their last two games, against the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Tuesday (Oct. 15) and the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday (Oct. 17).

Skinner Is Not On Top Of His Game Right Now

Skinner didn’t have a bad game by any means, but he was second in two goals in the game. The 25-year-old would definitely like to put Duchene’s goal back on the ball at 19:34 of the second period. Hintz won the draw on the right side of the Edmonton net and fed the puck back to Duchene, who beat Skinner clean with a wrist shot from the high post to give Dallas the first goal of the game.

The score remained 1-0 until the final minutes of the game, when Duchene and Hintz scored 70 seconds apart, at 12:06 and 13:16 of the third period. After Draisaitl’s goal put Edmonton up 3-1, Robertson scored into an empty net.

Skinner is now 1-3-0 and has allowed at least three goals in each of his four starts this season. His goals against average (GAA) of 4.03 and save percentage (SV%) of .851 is well below the level for Edmonton’s No.1 netminder.

It should be noted that Skinner also struggled out of the gates last season. He was 1-5-1 with a 3.87 GAA and .854 SV% in his first eight appearances of 2023-24, before going 35-11-4 with a 2.43 GAA and .913 SV% the rest of the way .

oilers’ Special Groups Are a Big Problem

In six games, the Oilers were outscored 24-12. Their minus-12 goal differential is the second worst in the NHL, ahead of only the Predators.

Special teams were to blame for that poor page, as Edmonton converted just 1 of 15 power play opportunities while killing 11 of 20 power plays from the opposition. The Oilers have the league’s lowest penalty kill percentage (55.0%) and their third lowest power play percentage (6.7%).

To understand how important special teams is to Edmonton’s success, consider the following numbers from the 2024 playoffs, when the Oilers made a run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final:

Over 25 games, Edmonton scored 22 power-play goals and three short-handed goals, while allowing four power-play goals and zero short-handed goals, giving the Oilers a plus-21 differential on special teams. In all other situations, the Oilers just broke through, scoring 61 goals and allowing 61 goals.

While incredible offensive talents like Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid among others are in the Oilers’ arsenal, there is no doubt that their power play will be fine. Edmonton’s penalty kill, however, is a cause for real concern, and it’s worth wondering how much the Oilers are missing from the offseason departures of Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, all of whom have put in significant time on the penalty-kill in 2023-24.

Success is coming to Hyman

With just 12 goals in six games, the lack of offense is clearly a team-wide issue for the Oilers. Almost every player’s point production is below expectations, so it’s unfair to single out anyone in particular. But if you score 54 goals in one season and start the next season without a goal in six games, you’re in for a treat.

So, Zach Hyman is the poster child for Edmonton’s early season struggles. After failing to register a goal or assist for the Stars, the veteran has now gone six consecutive games without a point, his longest streak in a single season since going seven straight without a goal or assist at the end of the season. 2016-17 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: 5 Takeaways From Oilers’ Encouraging 4-2 Victory Over Predators

Oilers fans should be encouraged by Hyman’s play, however. Saturday’s game was the second in a row that he has been around the opposing net, matching the NHL’s third-highest goal scorer in 2023-24. He led all Oilers forwards with four shots and missed four more.

After shooting just five goals in Edmonton’s first four games, Hyman has combined for nine shots on goal in the last two games. He started the season with a minus-4 average in the first three games but has a plus-3 average in the three games since. If Hyman continues to play like this, the first goal won’t be far away. If he finally breaks the seal, more goals could follow.

Hyman’s next chance out of schneid comes Tuesday (Oct. 22), when the Oilers host the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Place.