EDMONTON, AB - Newly-appointed Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock spoke to the media on Tuesday and cited what he thinks has caused the club's shortcomings in the 2018-19 season.
"I know what is wrong but it's not going to get fixed overnight," Hitchcock started.
"I just think frustration sets in and the emotion goes, and then you start playing by yourself. You're trying to do too much yourself. When you're frustrated, you go quiet on the ice with each other. You go quiet in your game and then it looks like you're, at times, not trying but it's exactly the opposite. I think I can clear the deck that way.
"I went through this in St. Louis. We turned it around in eight or nine days and we started to really play for each other. I think I can help this group turn around."
Hitchcock spent time with the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers in his 22-year coaching career. He owns an 823-506-88-19 record.
"We don't have time to horse around," he continued. "We don't have time to get in the 'get to know you' phase. We don't have time for it. We got to get going. I want to be able to tell them everything that I'm about, good and bad. I want them to be 100 percent prepared for what they can expect from me so we don't have to go through the dance. We started that today and I thought the guys really responded well to it. I want to be really clear with the players.
"By the time we play Friday, I'm going to try to eliminate as many surprises as I can."
BLOG: Hitchcock takes the helm
"I told the players today that I can take them to a place, personally, that they can't get to themselves,' said newly-appointed Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock
