Sportsnet: Bob Stauffer on the Jeff Marek Show on what needs to happen now for the Edmonton Oilers after the coaching change. (Interview before last night’s game)
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “What e.se needs to happen here, Bob?”
Stauffer: “So, the first thing that needs to happen is the goalie needs to stop the puck. Okay? The Oilers have to limit as many A-grade scoring opportunities in the D zone, they got to limit the odd man rushes. They got to get a save once in a while too.
So it starts, I mean, that is, Jack Campbell down on the minors and unfortunately got a couple of tough starts down there as well, which has been a move that hasn’t necessarily worked out for Edmonton. There’s no other way to say it.
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We had a press conference yesterday because if Jack had come in and provided the Edmonton Oilers with a .910 save percentage, he’s probably playing in the playoffs instead of a less experienced Stuart Skinner. Stuart’s probably not winning Rookie of the Year last year, and the Oilers probably aren’t in a 3-9-1 (before last night’s game) start through the first 13 games.
So they need some stops. They need to limit odd man rushes. They need to improve in the work back to the puck, that includes, you know, forward tracking back to support the D. I think you’ll see the D play with a little more, they were they’re kind of dropping back a bit. I think you’ll see them gap up a little bit more, try to take some time and space away from the opposition forwards.
But I just, I’m not, I gotta tell you here I’m sort of in a little bit of a shock that this has happened. I mean, who wouldn’t be. A lot of people had Edmonton, I had Edmonton as a legitimate top-six team this season. You know, I you know and so, and why wouldn’t I based on you know, final eight last year, lose to the Stanley Cup champ? Final for the year before, lose the Stanley Cup champ.
And as for Connor, Leon, offensively have slumped, I think the work rates been there. And I will tell you this. They’re the two toughest guys in the team. They play through injuries. Draisaitl has the pain threshold of a cadaver. Like he got a broken ankle against Calgary. Like he is a tough SOB and you would not know if they were hurt. And McDavid has come back injured, from injury, early every time he’s been hurt in his NHL career.
They’re the most, you know, this narrative out there that Connor was picking and choosing and you know, putting together but that it’s, he’s devastated for Jay. Like they’re the guys because they take the greatest ownership out. You know, the quiet when I watched the Maple Leafs in the playoffs. I don’t see with all due respect to how great of a player Austin Matthews is, And he’s no worse than the second or third best player in the world. But I haven’t seen them dig in the way like, Matthews and Marner the way Draisaitl, McDavid and Draisaitl have dug in forever in the playoffs. Like through sheer force of will they’ve elevated the team to three playoff series wins.
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And so it’s incumbent upon the organization again I worked with a team to build a better supporting cast around it, to have better instruction, to have better structure and process in the team’s games. And to get more saves. I’m going to circle back to that.
