Leon Draisaitl doesn't hold back after goaltending question - but his real target was aimed elsewhere
Oilers' Leon Draisaitl refused to point the blame at the team's goalies for the recent struggles, instead blaming his teammates for giving up too many chances.
It isn't the first time the Edmonton Oilers have put themselves in this situation, and that's the problem.
Just over two and a half weeks since the 9-1 collapse in Colorado, the Oilers once again found themselves in the same hole on Tuesday, and they got an 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Stars.
Dallas put the game beyond doubt almost from the get-go, with four goals in the first frame and two in each of the next two periods.
Edmonton was only able to manage their markers after the winning margin had been established, and in fact, the Stars' ninth goal was disallowed due to a high stick. The truth was, the game was much tougher than the scores suggested.
What Oilers fans need to worry about
What Edmonton fans should be worried about, however, is the familiarity of the meltdown.
The same defensive turnovers, the same lack of energy, the same constant collapse that cost them against Colorado has come back to haunt them, blowing all the gains they achieved on their successful seven-game road swing.
Skinner gave up four goals on eight shots before being pulled in the 20th minute. Calvin Pickard came in and gave up four on 22. However, in the post-game, there was no doubt whose camp Draisaitl was standing in support of.
Why Leon Draisaitl refuses to blame the goalies
When asked about the issues in the crease, he replied that his team is giving up grade-A look after grade-A look. He believes the team is hanging their goalies out to dry.
"I mean, what are they supposed to do?" Leon Draisaitl asked post-game. "They're part of the team too, and I'm sure they would tell you themselves that they can be better at times. But there's not much they can do. We're giving up grade-A look after grade-A look.
"You can't expect a goalie to stop every single one of them and win the game 3-1. It doesn't work like that. We just have to be so much better for them."
"You can't expect a goalie to stop every single one of them and win the game 3-1. It doesn't work like that. We just have to be so much better for them."
Nevertheless, the numbers tell their own story, and Pickard's .847 save percentage ranks near the bottom among all NHL goaltenders this season, and Skinner's .878 isn't much better.
The Oilers are running out of time to fix the mess, and whether it's the goalies or the defensive corps, something is about to change really soon.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 26 | 248 ANSWERS Leon Draisaitl doesn't hold back after goaltending question - but his real target was aimed elsewhere Do you agree with Leon Draisaitl's assessment? | ||
| Yes | 204 | 82.3 % |
| No | 44 | 17.7 % |
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