Oiler Look: Games 12-17

The Oilers are currently in the midst of one of their worst stretches since the 06-07 stretch run. The offence that carried them early has basically disappeared, and the guys who were going have slowed down.

Games 6-11:

• Team Record: 3-3-0


• Shots For - Shots Against (Diff): 151 - 208 (-57)


• Scoring Chances For - Against (Diff): 103 - 121 (-18)


• Goals For - Goals Against (Diff): 18 - 18 (E)


• Team Shooting %: 11.9


• Team Save %: 91.3

Games 12-17:

• Team Record: 2-4-0


• Shots For - Shots Against (Diff): 160 - 218 (-58)


• Scoring Chances For - Against (Diff): 102 - 146 (-42)


• Goals For - Goals Against (Diff): 13 - 20 (-7)


• Team Shooting %: 8.13


• Team Save %: 91.7

The Oilers have gotten continually worse at giving up both shots and scoring chances. That was going to be a problem anyways, but it's gotten worse simply based on the number of injuries this team has endured. The only real bright spot about this stretch was that the goaltending held up rather well. If this team can keep getting a team sv% over .913 it's going to give them a chance. The big downfall was the shooting%. This was the first set of games where the team sv% fell not only out of upper-echelon territory, but to below league average. It really was bound to happen (15.2% ring a bell?), but the team on the season is still at 11.4%. The shooting percentage really has been the only reason the Oilers record has been so flattering to this point, otherwise they would be closer to Taylor Hall than the playoffs.

The one positive from the Oilers this year has been their PP. The Oilers PP hasn't clicked like this in a long time, and if they can pick up the rest of their game to at least an average level, it is a playoff team. But when you can't kill penalties (on pace for the same pk% as last year), and you are horrible at ES (on pace to be -27), average is a long ways away.