Woll finished with 45 saves as the Oilers eclipsed the mark 45 shots on goal for the second time in their last three games, totalling 95 total shots but yielding only one victory. Edmonton leads the NHL this season with an average of 32.5 shots per game.
“We're getting quality looks. It's just the way it goes sometimes,” Connor McDavid said after practice on Monday morning. “I feel like the offence has been down everywhere, but it's not for a lack of effort or a lack of getting looks. I feel like we get looks every night and we're finding a way to get two or three every night, but we haven't had one of those where you break it open.
“The good news is we defend pretty well, so we're finding ways to win games. We usually just need to score three every night to win.”
Despite losing two in a row and going 1-2-1 over their last five games, the Oilers remain one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past few months with a 22-7-2 record since Nov. 31, having the ability to recognize the wins and losses in the little details of each match.
“We didn't like to start the last game, being down 3-0 isn’t good enough,” McDavid said. “Against Detroit, I didn't like our second period, so there's no real rhyme or reason to either of those wins, but I liked our response on Saturday after being down three. I thought maybe we could have deserved a better fate, but putting yourself in a hole like that, it's not easy.”
Corey Perry showed his Hart Trophy-winning and Stanley Cup pedigree over Edmonton’s lengthy six-game homestand with three goals and an assist in those games while still having a penchant for playing his trademark ‘Worm’ style of play by mixing it up physically and getting under his opponents’ skin.
The 39-year-old’s third-period marker against the Maple Leafs on Saturday was his 10th goal of the season, ranking him fifth on the Oilers roster while averaging 11:33 of ice time and playing primarily a fourth-line role. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch hasn’t shied away from using Perry on the top line at times this season with the way he’s produced thanks to his play along the wall and in the corners that benefits players like Connor McDavid.
“He's just so smart. I think that's the main thing,” McDavid said. “Obviously, he’s been around a really long time and seen just about everything there is to see in this league. He's just so smart out there. The way he is around the net, getting pucks off the wall and winning battles, it's really impressive. It seems like a simple thing just to go to the net, but that's where the goals are.”