The Edmonton Oilers have been having some trouble with their defence and goaltending in their recent rut, and it's really been reflected in their goals against stats.
A major reason for the uptick in goals against is the recent struggling play of Stuart Skinner, but the Oilers defensive play has dropped a notch lately as well.
Edmonton Oilers rank last in NHL in goals against since February 1st
NHL analyst Jesse Blake caused a stir amongst Oilers fans by raising one simple stat that really shows the lengths of their defensive troubles - they lead the league in goals against since February the 1st.
The Oilers ranking in company with the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks is a very tough look for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
The positive is that Edmonton's offence can outscore some problems, but not as effectively when they're ranking last in the league.
While Stuart Skinner has been struggling with lateral movement and therefore struggling to handle chances off the rush, the Oilers defensive play has taken a tumble and put added stress on the goalie.
Don't forget, top three defensive team in all categories last year on the way to the cup final. But since January 1, 15th in the NHL in high danger expected goals against, 26th in the NHL in high danger expected goals off the rush.
Edmonton's defensive play may rebound when Mattias Ekholm is added back to the lineup at full health, and with the addition of Jake Walman pushing John Klingberg out of the lineup. Defensive improvement are clearly necessary with numbers like this.
