A breakdown of Kris Knoblauch’s strong debut as the Oilers defeated the Islanders 4-1 to start the 2023-24 season on a winning streak.
At the very least, the Edmonton Oilers’ start to the season has been eventful. When it comes to this team, there never seems to be a dull moment.
Along these lines, Kris Knoblauch made his coaching debut against the Islanders on Monday night. While he did briefly coach the Rangers during COVID-19 due to medical absences, this is his first official NHL stint behind the bench.
It didn’t hurt that the Oilers were playing the struggling Islanders, who they always seem to beat at home. Regardless, a night that began with trepidation ended with a hard-earned 4-1 victory.
It remains to be seen whether this marks the start of a new era for an underachieving team, but Oilers fans can rejoice for at least one game. Let’s get to our three key takeaways from this much-needed victory:
1) A first-ever game
With Knoblauch making his debut as Oilers coach, it was only natural that this would be a night of firsts for the team. This included the team’s first victory at Rogers Place this season.
The Oilers’ 4-1 victory over the Islanders was also their first winning streak of the 2023-24 season. However, and perhaps most importantly, this was their first victory under their new coach.
There are those who believe the Oilers were too quick to fire Jay Woodcroft, regardless of how bad the team was playing. However, for at least one game, the decision proved to be correct.
To begin, Zach Hyman mentioned Knoblauch’s calming presence, which is an invaluable trait to have in the face of a team that is underperforming and adversity in general. Some of the changes on the ice were equally significant.
There had been much discussion about Woodcroft relying too heavily on his top two lines, especially as he desperately sought ways to get the team back on track. The balance was more noticeable in terms of ice time for everyone against the Islanders, with only three of the 12 forwards seeing less than 10 minutes of action.
Knoblauch was understandably pleased with the victory, which was enhanced by what the Oilers did for him in the locker room following the game. In an interview with the press, he stated:
“They did something really special after the game. They showed a video, presented the puck, and had my wife on the TV just saying a few words, which was very nice of them.”
There is obviously still a lot of pressure on the 45-year-old to get the Oilers to perform up to expectations and to put an end to Edmonton’s coaching carousel. He’s off to a good start, at least in the first game.
