The Edmonton Oilers five-game winning streak ended Thursday night with a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I don’t think we were ready to play,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. “Our puck management . . . not maybe our decision making, just our execution; breaking the puck out and then also on the line entries again. So, we were just giving it away so much and I don’t think there was many poor intentions, it was just execution that didn’t happen.”
Mathieu Olivier gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game, firing in a pass from Sean Kuraly. The Blue Jackets took advantage of two Oilers turnovers to score goals 27 seconds apart later in the first. Alex Nylander and Dmitri Voronkov were the goals scorers.
Zach Hyman put the Oilers on the board early in the second when he slammed home his 43rd of the season. Connor McDavid assisted on the play to hit 100 points for the seventh time in his career. Jack Roslovic was all alone in front after an Oilers giveaway, but was denied twice from in tight by Calvin Pickard.
Corey Perry deflected Evander Kane’s power play shot past Daniil Tarasov to pull the Oilers within one with 7:52 to go in the third.
With Pickard pulled for an extra attacker, Hyman had a swipe at a puck in the crease but was stopped by Tarasov. Jack Roslovic sealed it with an empty netter.
“We just didn’t have a good first,” Oilers forward Warren Foegele said. “We weren’t executing on plays and we were just a little bit slower than them and playing catchup and that’s kind of why things (lines) start juggling. But the onus is on me there. I turn over the puck after Sammy comes in here — new guy, character guy — has a massive fight to get us some energy and unfortunately I went out there and turned over the puck, and I know I can’t do that and we move forward from here.”
New Oiler Sam Carrick engaged in a first period fight with Olivier. Adam Henrique also made his Oilers debut. Both were acquired from Anaheim on Wednesday.
“I thought we responded pretty well in the second period, but just came up shot there,” Henrique said. “Had some opportunities, but maybe not enough established offensively.”
The Oilers, 38-21-2, will visit the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 9 a.m., game at 10:30 a.m.).
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