Despite being short-handed, Knoblauch feels Oilers 'should have won' vs. Ducks
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The Edmonton Oilers played a man short against the Anaheim Ducks Monday as the team continues to be plagued by injuries ahead of the playoffs.
The Oilers suffered a 3-2 loss to the Ducks while playing with 11 forwards and six defencemen. Despite the disadvantage in players dressed, Edmonton outshot the Ducks 47-21 in the loss.
"If we're 3-1 after a road trip like that, we're very happy. 2-2 after starting 2-0, we're disappointed," head coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Tonight's game, I feel like it was one that we probably should have won."
The Oilers opened their four-game road trip with wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks before falling 3-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday ahead of Monday's loss.
The team is currently playing without their top-paid players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while trade-deadline addition Trent Frederic was out again on Monday after just making his team debut on Saturday. Defencemen Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg also remain out with injuries, along with starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, whose absence led Knoblauch to give Olivier Rodrigue his first NHL start against the Ducks.
"Sometimes. it's easier for the players, short-handed, to play more and they're in the game a lot more," Knoblauch said of playing through with the long list injuries. "There's certain situations where we could have had an extra guy on the bench, whether it was a faceoff or the penalty kill."
The Oilers would have needed a win and a Calgary Flames loss on Monday to clinch their playoff spot and saw neither come to fruition. Edmonton continues to sit third in the Pacific Division, three points back of the Los Angeles Kings with the two teams equal in games played. The Flames are six points behind the Oilers with just five games remaining for both clubs.
The Oilers will host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday as the team looks to spark their offence after being held to three goals or less in each of their past seven games.
"We had lots of opportunities to put the puck in the back of the net," defenceman Darnell Nurse said of Monday's loss. "That's part of the game we've got to find a way to capitalize on the chances we have, and we didn't do that enough tonight."