The Edmonton Oilers defence has a problem as they are struggling to keep up with the forwards of the Los Angeles They’ve been unable to solve the mystery of slowing down Adrian Kempe. Kempe is currently the top scorer in the NHL postseason with nine points through three games, and he’s slaughtered the Oilers in this series. Edmonton pulled game three from the fire due to a bad challenge, but that won’t mean anything if the Oilers do not find a solution to shut down the Kings speedy Swedish winger.
When shutting him down, having home ice should be an advantage. Having Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jump onto the ice whenever Kempe and his line do should provide the Oilers with a beneficial matchup defensively since they get the last change in games at Rogers Place. But that cannot be the only thing that happens. The goaltending is in shambles right now, and the Oilers desperately need to address that, but the defense of the Oilers has underperformed massively.
Bouchard’s Issues
The biggest issue for the Edmonton Oilers defence has been Evan Bouchard, which seems stupid to say when he’s made such an impact offensively. However, his defensive problems have become too blatant to ignore, and the Oilers must find a way to shut down Kempe. He’s running rings past Bouchard in this series right now, and that cannot remain the same. Bouchard is a pending restricted free agent who will want a lot of money, and the Oilers need him to be better in this series and earn his payday this summer.
Bouchard has been on the ice for six 5v5 goals against, the most on the roster, and it’s a screaming concern for the Oilers moving forward. When the Oilers get underway in Game Four, they need either Bouchard to be better than he has been or to hide him from the top line of the Los Angeles Kings. Both options are viable, but it works better if he’s playing better.
System Adjustments
It’s not just a personnel issue for the Oilers. Kempe is causing problems because of his speed and dangerous shot. The Oilers need to be more compact as a team and have their centers drop deeper into a more defensive position to cut the rush chances against down. Take away the space he can fly into. Not with the top line, because you want that line to score the goals, but when he is on the ice, taking away that threat will make it easier for the Oilers to cope.
The other solution, rarer in the NHL, would be to try and shove a player on him at all times. There are man-on-man systems in the NHL, like the Carolina Hurricanes, but they are demanding and require perfection. Edmonton could try a hybrid approach but only take away Kempe. Let the other pass players off and play a zone defense, but have someone account for the playoff-leading scorer. It’s less effective and rarely used, but it’s an option nonetheless.
Something has to give for the Oilers defense in the playoffs. With the state of their defensive play, the Oilers need to adjust. The Kings shot themselves in the foot during game three to provide a lifeline to this team. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results, and the Oilers are doing just that if they fail to adjust for game four.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson- Imagn Images
The post The Edmonton Oilers Defence Needs to be Fixed appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.