When Connor McDavid praised Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper unprompted on Saturday, it raised some eyebrows.
However, the Edmonton Oilers captain said Monday that he simply meant praise for his Olympic coach amid his own team's struggles.
“We’re not taking shots. It’s just everybody can be better, myself included. Everybody can be better. It was more just complimentary of a great team in this league that came in and played a good game. Nothing more than that," McDavid said.
“Not sure how it was taken that way it wasn’t supposed to be that way. But I understand obviously, I understand how people could look at it that way, but it’s not what I was intending to do at all.”
The Oilers fell 5-2 against the Lightning on Saturday for their second straight loss and fourth in six games.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said criticism comes with the territory.
"Any time you are losing and not playing that well, you want to do things better. Coaches are no different. Coaches want more out of the players, players want a lot more out of the coaches," Knoblauch said. "When things are going well, there's very little criticism. When there's losing being had, and you're not having the success that you anticipated, then everyone needs to look in the mirror and look at how you can make the team better."
After the Lightning loss, McDavid has said the opponent was "perfectly coached."
"They have a great system. ... They all know what they’re doing all over the ice. It’s impressive. They’re a great team,” he said.
“They’re extremely well-coached, they’re extremely well-organized. They’re very rehearsed in everything they do. It’s very impressive. And when you do break them down, they have a heck of a goalie to backstop them."
Despite their recent downturn, the Oilers (34-28-9) still sit third in the weak Pacific Division with 77 points.
They return to action Tuesday with a visit to the Utah Mammoth (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT).
