Edmonton Oilers penalty kill continues to deflate team

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Finnegan Frost
November 4, 2024 (3:33 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a tough shutout loss to the New Jersey Devils, and one area of their game seems to continue to trend downwards.

As of right now, the Oilers have one of the worst penalty kills in the NHL - currently ranked 31st in the league overall.

During the 2024 post season, the Edmonton Oilers had a historic penalty kill unit. In a unfathomable statistic, the Edmonton Oilers averaged a penalty-kill percentage of 94.3 during the postseason - a huge reason for their glorious Stanley Cup run.

But now, for whatever reason, the Edmonton Oilers can't seem to get a grip on their penalty kill. According to the Hockey News, the Oilers' penalty kill continues to struggle and it's an absolute momentum killer.

In 13 games this season, the Oilers have given up at least one power-play goal in nine of them. That's not going to cut it, especially later in the season.
-The Hockey News

Although analysts can't seem to pin point exactly where the team is going wrong, the team has taken an undeniable hit during the 2024 offseason.

There has been discussion that the departure of big Vincent Desharnais has caused the chemistry of the Oilers PK to be too shaken up.

As of right now, the Oilers penalty kill looks, disjointed, disorganized, and sloppy.

With that being said, there is a silver lining to the Oilers woes. Captain Connor McDavid took to the ice today for an optional skate, disclosing that he might be ready to go for Saturday's game against Vancouver.

The Edmonton Oilers look to bounce back when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.