Daily Faceoff: Frank Seravalli when asked how short the leash is for Jay Woodcroft in Edmonton.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Tyler Yaremchuk: “miserable performance on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. There were questions about Jay Woodcroft’s future behind the bench in Edmonton.
Like I said, I’m in Vancouver for the Oilers – Canucks matchup. Jay Woodcroft is expected to be coaching in that game, Frank. But how short is this leash getting?
Seravalli: I think it’s getting shorter by the day. I think you see an effort like Saturday against the Preds and that really raises some red flags. I think there were a few other ones that had raised some red flags earlier this season.
NHL Rumors: The Edmonton Oilers and a little Calgary Flames
And it’s really tough because we just talked briefly off the top about how atrocious the Oilers goaltending has been to this point and you say, well, you know, Jay Woodcroft certainly wouldn’t be the first coach ever to pay a significant price for a goaltending tandem that’s hit a rut.
But when I look at this team, it feels like to me a lot more than just the goaltending. Yeah, there’s been a few nights where I think they’ve been unlucky. And I think there’s a few stats that you could point to, especially their five-on-five play and maybe some expected goals where you say, this is a team that probably, you know, should have better results right now than they do.
But the longer this drags on, they’re at games played and I know Connor McDavid referenced the idea that they started seven and three last year, and after 20 games, were still just 10 and 10. Can they get to that point where they’re 10 and 10? Yeah, I think they could, and they could find themselves squarely back in the mix.
NHL Rumors: Teams Are Starting To Begin The Process of Adding Pieces
But to borrow a phrase from Yogi Berra, it’s getting late early here, the Oilers have exactly games to figure this out, no more than that before it becomes a mathematical equation that they won’t be able to solve for in the final games of the year. It’s crunch time. It’s go time, and it begins with some teams that they’re looking up at in the standings in the Pacific and chasing.
“I think it’s getting shorter by the day.” – @frank_seravalli on Jay Woodcroft’s future with the Edmonton Oilers
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