HC Kris Knoblauch reveals eye-opening observation of Oilers players slacking when playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl 

By ARJUN B

Modified Mar 14, 2025 04:31 GMT

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Edmonton Oilers’ head coach Kris Knoblauch made an eye-opening observation about some of the team's players after their 3-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Knoblauch noticed that when certain players are on the ice with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they tend to defer too much and get away from their own game.

"The other guys — I’ve noticed that as nice as it is to play with McDavid and Draisaitl, some of them get away from their game when they’re with them. They’re a little reluctant to do what has made them successful and defer too much," Knoblauch said postgame.

The coach also pointed out that when they play with other teammates, their game becomes simpler, more direct and more efficient.

“We saw that in the third period with some of the guys. They created scoring chances and played a lot better than they had previously. So that’s something I’ll have to make note of in the future," he added.

The loss dropped the Oilers' record to 37-24-4 and they're now in second place in the Pacific Division.

Jesper Bratt, Brett Pesce and Simon Nemec scored for the Devils while Edmonton got goals from Evan Bouchard and Draisaitl on the night.

Jake Allen made 31 saves in the win while Stuart Skinner allowed three goals on 22 shots faced.

Kris Knoblauch's take on Oilers 3-2 loss to Devils

Pesce put the Devils on the board at 3:58 of the second, scoring with a snap shot from just outside the right post after Bratt’s shot was blocked in front. Then, Draisaitl tied the game 1-1 with a wrist shot from the right circle.

Bouchard gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead early in the third, firing a wrist shot from the right point at 4:18.

"I thought our guys put in a really good effort the first 40 minutes; it was an even game," Knoblauch said.

"In the third period, I thought we pushed hard and had a lot of good scoring chances. I think our top line [Draisaitl, McDavid, Zach Hyman] controlled the play when they were on the ice," he added.

Bratt levelled the score again at 6:50, ripping a wrist shot from the high slot to make it 2-2.

Nemec then gave New Jersey the lead at 8:25, blasting a slap shot from the point for his first goal of the season.

Knoblauch will hope his team can turn things around quickly when they take on the New York Islanders next at UBS Arena on Friday.