Oilers' third-period rally can't overshadow concerns on display in Game 1 loss

LOS ANGELES Much of the focus of Game 1 will be on how valiantly the Edmonton Oilers charged back in the third period only to let it slip away.

In the end, a miracle comeback against the Los Angeles Kings engineered by captain Connor McDavid was all for naught in a jaw-dropping 6-5 loss.

But the main takeaway from this game is how out of sorts the Oilers looked for most of the first two periods, and all the questions about where they go from here.

Collectively, as a group, we could be a lot sharper, winger Zach Hyman said.

The Oilers tried to downplay how much uncertainty and even chaos surrounded their roster before they opened their fourth straight first-round series with the Kings.

Advertisement There was a gaggle of previously too-injured players added to their lineup, all while arguably their best defenceman, Mattias Ekholm, was shelved and a potentially impactful forward in Evander Kane remained unavailable.

They sure looked like a team that had barely played together recently for the better part of the first 40 minutes on Monday.

It wasnt our best game, Hyman said.

I wouldnt attribute it to that.

We could be a lot better.

Theyre a really good team.

They play well in this building.

We gave ourselves a chance to win the game.

I liked that we stayed with it even though there were a lot of opportunities to quit.

Inserted into the lineup were four players who werent available for stretches up to the regular-season finale because of injuries: Hyman, Leon Draisaitl, Jake Walman and Trent Frederic.

In Frederics case, it was just his second game since Feb.

25 when he suffered an ankle injury with the Boston Bruins.

The Oilers acquired him on March 4, and he sustained a setback in his first and only game with the Oilers on April 5, coincidentally also in Los Angeles.

Frederic had an assist in 9:11 in his playoff debut for his new team but skated just 1:04 in the third period.

The Oilers looked like a mess as they tried to not only integrate them back into the fray, but also account for the losses of Ekholm and Troy Stecher on defence.

Josh Brown, mostly an AHL farmhand this season, played just 4:54 of which 2:33 came short-handed as the Oilers essentially relied on five blueliners.

They used 10 different pairings to compensate for their unwillingness to play Brown.

Coach Kris Knoblauch hinted this type of usage could be the blueprint.

Were not playing back-to-back.

Its a little bit different, Knoblauch said.

We saw it at the end of the regular season.

We had many games where our defencemen, four of them, played over 25 minutes.

It was very similar to tonight.

Advertisement Whether we work in a sixth a little bit more or not, I think we can have success either way.

Up front, they flipped around lines midway through the first period, and the blender was out for the rest of the game by the time the second frame came around.

It just seemed they couldnt find the right combinations or were willing to try them long enough to know.

Lines will only get jumbled further if the power forward Kane is added to the mix.

Kane practised harder during an optional skate Monday than he has since the team left Edmonton a week ago and is eyeing his season debut.

We maneuvered the lines quite a bit, Knoblauch said.

We were just trying to figure out which guys were going and who could help us.

That was only part of the problem.

There were already sizable personnel issues on the blue line without Ekholm and even Stecher at the ready.

Thats before mentioning that Walman was returning from a six-game injury absence and Brett Kulak flew to Los Angeles on Monday after travelling to Canmore, Alta., for the birth of his second daughter.

Their defence was running on fumes as it was.

They simply couldnt afford the defensive gaffes that occurred from their top needle-mover, Evan Bouchard.

Bouchard made two turnovers in his own zone in the second period that both resulted in goals against.

The first one was thoughtless as he backhanded a puck along the boards instead of doing a hard rim.

The second one was horrendous another backhanded this time from behind the net to the slot where it was picked off.

Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault both capitalized to double the Oilers deficit to four goals.

The latter goal came at 17:43 of the frame and put the Oilers in a massive hole.

Though Bouchard contributed three assists later, his defensive miscues were more notable.

Advertisement I cant comment on that, Knoblauch said.

I dont know the breakdowns.

I saw Evan give us an excellent opportunity to win.

He made a lot of nice plays.

Was his game perfect? Im not sure anybodys game was perfect.

Evans a very important part of our team.

If were going to have success, especially when were missing one of our key defencemen, our top four really need to step up.

This game would have been a laugher if not for McDavids heroics.

He willed the Oilers back into it with primary assists that were equal parts determined and beautiful on goals by Draisaitl, Corey Perry and Hyman, the latter coming at six-on-five.

He then tied the game with 1:28 on the clock and Stuart Skinner on the bench with a sublime individual effort as he chipped and chased around Mikey Anderson before beating goalie Darcy Kuemper with a shot.

Everyones playing with the same intensity.

Im not sure everyone can play to the same level as Connor, Knoblauch said.

Hes at a different skill talent than most guys in the NHL.

Were going to need a team effort.

Were going to need contributions from everybody not just Connor, not just Leon.

Knoblauch felt the Oilers got enough players pulling on the rope.

McDavid was clearly the leader.

His efforts wound up being wasted when Danaults knuckler got by Skinner on the next shift.

Despite the tremendous push back, a loss is a loss.

The Oilers missed a chance to steal home-ice advantage.

Theres a lot more to worry about beyond that.

The Oilers were porous defensively and had to play three defencemen Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Kulak more than 24 minutes.

Walman wouldnt have been far behind had he not been penalized twice in the third period.

The offence was dormant for almost two periods, managing just 10 shots on goal before registering 15 alone in the third.

Very little happened unless a McDavid-and-Draisaitl-led group was on the ice.

Advertisement Connor and Leon made some really nice plays to get us back in that game, Knoblauch said.

They had to.

There was a lot to like about the Oilers resiliency.

What wasnt enticing was their cohesion.

Being out of sync didnt help their cause on Monday as they lost a wacky game.

Sometimes games arent scripted the way you think theyre going to go, and you have to find a way to win, Hyman said.

Obviously, we fell short, which sucks.

Nobodys happy about it.

We have a history of bouncing back.

Im sure well play a lot better in Game 2.

Thatll have to start with being on the same page.

(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images).

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