McDavid says Oilers defense 'not where it needs to be' after Qualifiers

Connor McDavid said the Edmonton Oilers need to improve their defensive game if they want to become a Stanley Cup contender.

"Obviously it's not where it needs to be," the Oilers captain said Friday, one week after Edmonton was eliminated in four games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. "Teams that win are the teams that defend, and we haven't seemed to figure that out yet.

"I don't know how else to say it. I thought we took some big steps playing defensively during the season. Yeah, it just wasn't there at the end of the season. Personally, obviously, it could be better."

The Oilers, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, scored 15 goals in four games in their series against the Blackhawks, the No. 12 seed. McDavid led all players in the Qualifiers with nine points (five goals, four assists), but Edmonton allowed 16 goals.

In the regular season, the Oilers had improved defensively, ranking 15th in the NHL in goals allowed per game (3.03) after they ranked 25th in the League at 3.30 in 2018-19.

"In terms of the players, it's definitely the right direction, knowing what we have to do to be successful," McDavid said. "We did it most of the regular season and obviously when it came time and mattered most, we dropped the ball. I think we still made some steps and we'll learn and grow from it."

General manager Ken Holland said Tuesday McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would gain valuable experience from the qualifier series.

"They are getting better, but I also think in this playoff series, we were playing against battle-tested players," Holland said. "Some players [with Chicago] won three Stanley Cups. They have to learn that, too."

Draisaitl was the Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL scoring leader with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 regular-season games. McDavid, who finished second to Draisaitl in the scoring race with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games, said the lessons were tough to swallow, but they will be a focus in the future.

"Obviously that's an issue and we're aware of it and we'll have to be better moving forward," McDavid said. "But again, I thought we took steps in the regular season to fix that."

Defenseman Darnell Nurse said no one should doubt that the Oilers realize their shortcomings and that they will be motivated to continue their progress next season.

"It didn't go how any of us wanted it to go," said Nurse, who had two assists against the Blackhawks. "Everyone's [upset] about it, I think that's the best way to describe it. But to beat yourself over the head with it for weeks, is that going to bring you back in a better mind state or better mind frame, or is it going to affect you in your goals for next season?

"There's a taste in everyone's mouth that no one likes, but you need to find a way to not have that taste. We've had it four out of (my) five years here, so we know we need to be better."