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Oilers' Adam Henrique and Vasily Podkolzin bash their teammates publicly after humiliating loss to Devils

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Daniel Lucente
November 5, 2024  (11:53)
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Adam Henrique of the Edmonton Oilers speaks to the media
Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers on YouTube

The Oilers suffered another horrible loss, this team via shutout to the Devils, and following the game, two Oilers players unleashed on the rest of their teammates.

The Oilers' struggles on their penalty kill have now become very apparent as, to this point, they have not been able to carry over last year's consistency defensively. This slide has trickled into the competitive aspects of being in the crucial moments of a game, and frustration is growing as the season progresses.

But a perfect example of their struggles was what happened to the Oilers on Monday night. Out-chancing the New Jersey Devils, the Oilers lost 3-0 to them. For two fairly even periods, the game was tight, before an ill-advised too-many-men penalty lent New Jersey the edge they needed in the second. In other seasons, Edmonton might have shrugged off such a setback, but this time, the penalty seemed to cast a shadow over the team's morale and momentum. Adam Henrique appeared extremely frustrated following the game.

«There's just little details that sometimes get out of sync, clears, little routes, keeping pucks in, and they end up in the back of your net,» Adam Henrique said after the loss. «It's just those little things, but they end up being big things in the end.»


The Oilers' reaction to that call summed up a worrying habit: Jesper Bratt was left unattended in the slot and somehow squeezed one through Calvin Pickard, thereby securing the game. From there, Edmonton seemed to run out of steam, unable to muster the energy for a comeback. Another example of the mental lapses that have happened far too often and are proving costly in close games. Vasily Podkolzin also sounded off on his teammates.

«We need a little bit more time to be a little better and play for each other,» Vasily Podkolzin told reporters. «I'm sure we will be better next game, but we need to be better at special teams.»


To make matters worse, the Oilers' PK has completely fallen off a cliff. After finishing last season in the top half of the league for PK success, they currently sit dead last, killing only 60% of their penalties. The challenge now comes to Oilers assistant coach Brad Stuart, who managed the PK with such success last year, as the team fights to regain that form. Head coach Kris Knoblauch remains optimistic, though, and is resisting any drastic changes or panic.

The Oilers have fallen back to a .500 record with a 6-6-1 start, and their struggles on the PK represent a clear weak point. With the man advantage, Coach Kris Knoblauch believes the team can "find it" again on the PK, but if they don't soon, the Oilers risk slipping into the same early-season hole they fought out of last year. That defensive edge seemed lost for most of the season, and finding it once again may be just what they need to spur them to a turnaround in recapturing some of the resilience and tenacious defense that made them so competitive last year.

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Oilers' Adam Henrique and Vasily Podkolzin bash their teammates publicly after humiliating loss to Devils

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