Edmonton Oilers struggling in both ends as losses mount

No one likes a stinky old rerun. But after Sunday’s night 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, there’s concern the Edmonton Oilers are taking viewers down the tired path of a non-playoff season.

On Sunday, the Oilers allowed an early goal, passed the puck poorly, cheated for offence and saw the game slip away before it was at its halfway point. It was the same script that turned them into also-rans one season ago.

“Last season is in the past. It seems like we still have to talk about it all the time, which is fair. It wasn’t the year we wanted,” said captain Connor McDavid.

“It’s a brand new year. We got off to a good start. We let the last couple slide. We’re in a bit of a lull right now. We have to work our way out of it.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a brand new year. We got off to a good start. We let the last couple slide. We're in a bit of a lull right now. We have to work our way out of it."

The Oilers are at 8-8-1 but have lost four straight, having been outscored 17-6 in the process.

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“For us to get out of it, it’s as much a mental decision to play the game with the right amount of risk at certain times,” head coach Todd McLellan said. “Better game management.”

“It’s been the biggest issue ever since I got here,” Leon Draisaitl said. “It’s the defensive part. We have stretches where we’re really good at defending, not giving up much.

“Then we have these stretches where we seem to almost be nervous about getting in our zone. We’re slow to pucks. We’re late to battles.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Then we have these stretches where we seem to almost be nervous about getting in our zone. We're slow to pucks. We're late to battles."

While defending is an issue, the Oilers aren’t exactly juggernauts in the scoring department.

Draisaitl and McDavid are likely to be on the same line Tuesday against the Canadiens, but it’s the third line that has gone dry.

Ryan Strome has just one goal on the season, while Milan Lucic’s slump continues. He scored against Montreal at Rogers Place in December. Since then, he has two goals in 63 games and wonders if 2018 simply isn’t his year.

“You look at last December, I was really getting it going. Once Christmas happened and the calendar changed, it was like the tap shut off,” Lucic said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You look at last December, I was really getting it going. Once Christmas happened and the calendar changed, it was like the tap shut off," Lucic said.

“That’s where we have to fix things more than anything,” said McLellan of the third line.

“They have to find ways to actively create first, then score secondly. Right now, that’s not happening enough. We’ll have to work with that group.”

The Oilers and Canadiens are on 630 CHED Tuesday with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. and the game at 7 p.m.