EDMONTON — They’re into Phase 2 of the new coach now in Edmonton. The new-car smell has worn off.
So when Ken Hitchcock goes off for two days on the state of officiating around his team, it doesn’t result in three power-play goals like it might have 10 days ago.
Instead, Edmonton squandered all five power plays it received in the opening 40 minutes Tuesday against St. Louis, and lost a game 4-1 to a team everyone else is beating. Yes, everything isn’t coming up roses for Hitch and his childhood team anymore, further illustrated by one of the stranger video review goals you’ll see in the third period.
That goal, credited to St. Louis winger Patrick Maroon, stood up as the game-winner in a Blues win that marked the second straight loss by Edmonton, both to clubs that sit well below them in the standings.
“When they called it a goal, I thought for sure they would call it back. I felt like my pad was pushed in,” said Oilers goalie Cam Talbot. “But, Kyle (Rehman, the referee), give him credit. He thought the puck had crossed the line before my pad was pushed, and gave me an explanation. It just didn’t go our way tonight.”
If you know Talbot, you know that video review almost never goes his way.
“Not so much,” he admitted, a raw topic for Talbot. “Sometimes those calls don’t go your way, but a lot of times they don’t go my way.”
Despite the fact Connor McDavid did not draw a penalty on the night, the Oilers received five power plays to St. Louis’ three. The Blues scored on one of theirs, however, where the Oilers power play was borderline inept.
“We lost it on special teams, on the power play,” Hitchcock surmised post-game. “Our problem is that we’re too slow on the flanks. We don’t have enough movement on the flanks and we’ll get that changed. We’re standing still outside the dots and trying to make plays instead of being in attack mode.
“It’s a 1-1 hockey game — exactly where you want it at home — and we were the first team to crack. That’s unfortunate.”
This is an Oilers club that has embraced its new coach with mostly adrenaline, climbing into a playoff spot while barely having a chance for Hitchcock to install any of his systems in real time on the practice ice.
What they’ve learned, they’ve learned in the film room and on the white board. Perhaps that’s why cracks have begun to show, in a 4-2 loss at Vancouver on Sunday and this 4-1 decision at home.
So they’ll get a day off on Wednesday, and have two full film and practice days on Thursday and Friday. Then Tampa Bay visits for Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, a late game that could be wildly entertaining heading into the Christmas break.
“We finally get a chance to get two full team practices with Hitch, and a day off,” said Milan Lucic. “I think the two practices are more important than the day off. It’ll be good for Hitch, and for all of us as players.”
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What Talbot needed, however, was a ‘W.’ He’s now 7-10-2 this season, despite having rehabilitated his game after a poor start. He gave his team every chance on Tuesday, but the team just would not respond.
“I thought I had a pretty good game,” he said. “You take that one (reviewed goal) out of it, and it’s two (goals) out of 29 (shots). You don’t have a terrible stat line. Instead, you’re three out of 29, and I’m right back where I don’t want to be.”
It’s been a tough year for Talbot, who endured a personal nightmare last season. Now he’s playing well — and his team musters just 23 shots and one goal at home.
Them’s the breaks.
“It’ll star to turn for me at some point, ‘cause I feel like I’m playing pretty good hockey right now.”
