Connor McDavid and head coach Mike Babcock left Thursday with a win, but Edmonton's defensive performance gave the Oilers plenty to discuss.
The Oilers escaped with a wild 9-7 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, collecting their first win of the season despite allowing the game to become far tighter than expected.
Edmonton had built an 8-2 advantage midway through the second period. Instead of cruising from there, the Oilers opened the door for Vancouver to get back into the game.
That created an obvious question at Friday's practice: how much responsibility belonged to Edmonton's defence, and how much fell on the goaltending?
Babcock went in another direction. Rather than pointing toward a player or position group, the Oilers coach put the responsibility on himself.
“I think it's coaching,” Babcock told reporters before walking away from the media scrum as laughter followed his answer.
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Mike Babcock redirects attention after chaotic win
It was a short response, but the message was clear. Babcock wasn't interested in publicly separating the mistakes of his blue line from what happened in the crease.
The approach also shifted attention away from individual mistakes after a game in which Edmonton surrendered 7 goals despite holding a massive lead.
There was no shortage of offence at the other end. Connor McDavid finished with 5 points as Edmonton's top players pushed the pace throughout the night.
Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each added 4 points, giving the Oilers enough production to survive a game that became increasingly uncomfortable.
Owen Michaels also scored his first NHL goal, adding another positive moment on a night dominated by questions about Edmonton's ability to close games cleanly.
Vancouver scored 4 straight goals during the third period, turning what had looked like a runaway into a finish that forced Edmonton to keep pushing.
Babcock's response Friday suggested those defensive issues won't be handled through public finger-pointing. The responsibility, at least in front of the cameras, stayed with the head coach.
The Oilers now return home Saturday against the Seattle Kraken with a clear assignment: protect leads better and give Babcock far less to explain after the final horn.
Was Mike Babcock right to take the blame for Edmonton's defensive collapse?
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