Oilers too soft? Insider comments on team recording just 5 hits against Devils
As the Oilers look for a bounce-back performance against the Las Vegas Golden Knights tonight, insider Jason Gregor sends a clear message to the team.
The Oilers are coming off a disappointing 3-0 shutout loss against the New Jersey Devils. Although the team outshot their opponent by a significant margin, Jason Gregor goes off on one of his usual rants, emphasizing a cringeworthy statistic.
-Jason Gregor
Let's get real here, recording just 5 hits in 60 minutes is completely unacceptable. I understand the team isn't necessarily recognized as being a formidable physical force in the NHL, but that level of tenacity won't get the Oilers very far.
Although the Edmonton Oilers aren't blessed with some of the bigger enforcers in the league, they still have a few players with the ability to shine in that category. Take Darnell Nurse for example.
In game 4 of the 2024 Western Conference final, Nurse ended the game with 12 hits, three blocked shots and an assist on the Oilers' first goal - proving the Edmonton Oilers can be physically dominant if they want to be.
It was recently announced that captain Connor McDavid will be dressing for tonight's game after being sidelined for a lower body injury.
With that in mind, the Oilers will be keeping a close eye on their captain in the event the Golden Knights take any unwarranted cheap shots on McDavid.
If the Golden Knights start getting a little too physical with McDavid, the Oilers will need to switch on by tripling their overall hit totals from last game.
