‘We can be better’: Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft isn’t worried about job security
After a disappointing 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night – a team that won its first game of the year just two nights prior – all eyes turned to Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.
It’s been a disastrous season for the Oilers, a team most expected to be a serious Stanley Cup contender. The Oilers have a 2-9-1 record with five points through 12 games and are currently riding a four-game losing streak since the NHL’s Heritage Classic. Edmonton and San Jose are tied for last place in the NHL standings, with the Oilers having an extra game in hand.
After Thursday’s game, Woodcroft said he wasn’t worried about his job security amidst rising pressure from the fanbase for a change to be made.
"When you’re not outscoring mistakes you have to find a way to limit them."
Coach Woodcroft summarizes tonight’s game in San Jose. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/XH5ygSv2Tq
“No, I worry about taking care of my daily business and my daily process, and making sure that I give my players something to focus on and concentrate on,” Woodcroft said. “No one’s happy with where we’re at. We all own it.”
The Oilers outshot San Jose 41-18, including a 17-shot third period. Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers, with Fabian Zetterlund, Tomas Hertl and Filip Zadina finding the back of the net for the Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood was excellent for the Sharks, making 39 saves for his second consecutive win.
The Oilers went 0-for-4 on the power play, a major reason for the team’s result.
“When you’re not outscoring mistakes, you have to find a way to limit them,” Woodcroft said.
“We have to do a much better job of securing two points. We’ve had moments, but we can be better for a full 60 minutes. In the end, some costly mistakes ended up in the back of our net.”
Woodcroft has a 78-41-13 record in 132 NHL regular season games, with a 14-14 run over two playoff runs.
The Oilers will travel to Seattle on Saturday, with the potential for a new coach to be leading the way. They’ll then head back home for bouts with the New York Islanders on Monday and Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.