The Edmonton Oilers lost no ground amongst their closest divisional rivals after a disappointing 4-0 shutout loss to the Florida Panthers — that’s the good news. Now, a stately storm led by Nikita Kucherov comes to town.

The lack of emotional engagement in the game left many fans feeling cold exiting Rogers Place, a championship rematch many hoped would be a marquee matchup. Then, coach Kris Knoblauch’s non-acknowledgement in the post-game presser left more frustration.

The game was winnable. But the Oilers couldn’t adapt against the Panthers’ forecheck.

“The guys worked really hard. The effort was there, but we couldn’t find a way to score a goal,” said Kris Knoblauch in his lead-off to the post-game scrum. “Maybe I’d criticize us for not shooting the puck enough. The effort was there, but we couldn’t find a goal.”

Saturday’s opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning is in the mix for the one seed in the Eastern Conference, a group that did go to the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive times from 2020 to 2022, winning twice.

However, despite strong regular seasons, they haven’t won a playoff round since.

The NHL’s most productive point collector of the past three seasons, Nikita Kucherov, has been so hot that he’s just one behind the Oilers’ Connor McDavid. The league’s number one and two for the Art Ross Trophy cap off Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night.

Oilersnation wants to hear from you, the reader, in our new weekly “Letters to the Editor” segment. Letters can be emailed to Oilersnation’s managing editor Zach Laing (zach.laing@bettercollective.com), titled “Letters to the Editor.” Please include a letter up to 200 words, including your name, place of residence (city, town, province, or state). Your letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. Letters must be submitted by 6 PM MT Saturday night to be considered for feature on Sunday mornings.

‘More simple to our game’

Blanked for the first time since Jan. 15, the Oilers spent Friday’s practice getting a lot of puck........

© Oilers Nation