The Edmonton Oilers have been in a rut that extends before 4 Nations Faceoff, and after another disappointing effort today and a loss to Washington, Corey Perry called on the team to whip back into shape.
The Oilers goaltending has come into question heavily with Coach Knoblauch calling out Stuart Skinner twice, but it's also on the players to perform better than they are.
Corey Perry calls out Oilers to get out of their rut quickly
When speaking to the media after today's loss in Washington, Corey Perry said that the Oilers have the skill and experience to get out of this rut, but they'll need to work for it.
We started the season not great. We can look at that and look how we got out of it. All it was, was hard work, putting your head down and doing the right things. We have guys that are world class players, and we have guys that can work. Those things work together. Everyone's just got to pull their weight.- Corey Perry
Perry continued to say that if this happens in the playoffs, it can be something that ends the entire season. Maybe alluding to losing three straight games against Florida, Perry said the Oilers need to get better at whipping back into shape immediately after a loss.
You have to learn how to dog yourself out of a hole. You don't want to look too far ahead, but you get in the playoffs and you lose a game you have to figure it out right away. Because if you take too long, you'll be gone. You'll be sitting on the couch.
The Oilers have struggled mightily against top teams this season, and now don't have a regulation win in their last 7 games. The entire team is slacking right now, and it's showing by dropping them in the standings.
Hopefully the Oilers hear Perry's call in the playoffs, and can respond to the critics in their next games out against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers - they'll be massive tests for a struggling Edmonton team.
