The Edmonton Oilers were supposed to have better goaltending this season. The position wasn’t supposed to be a weakness again. It was supposed to be solidified.
But after four games, the Oilers have the worst goaltending statistics in the NHL. New additions Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth (now injured) have combined for an .831 save percentage while allowing a whopping 21 goals against.
Scrivens was between the pipes last night in Arizona, where he allowed goals like this:
The Oilers would go on to lose 7-4, dropping their record to 0-3-1.
To be sure, goaltending isn’t the only area where Edmonton has struggled. Structurally, they still make too many costly mistakes. For example...
Yeah, maybe keep an eye on that guy.
But it sure does feel a lot like last season, when Devan Dubnyk had “probably the worst start to a year that I could have imagined,” and the Oilers’ playoff hopes were pretty much dashed by the end of October.
Edmonton kicks off a seven-game home stand Friday against Vancouver.
Related: Oilers get lit up in Arizona; Scrivens won’t throw team under the bus