- Mike Babcock didn’t hold back after the Oilers’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks
- Edmonton’s new coach was asked about Tristan Jarry and put it on the whole team
- Read below for Babcock’s full postgame video and what he said about the comeback
Mike Babcock’s first regular-season game behind the Oilers bench didn’t go the way he wanted.
Edmonton clawed back from a 5-2 hole to tie it late, then lost 6-5 in overtime to the Canucks on Tuesday at Rogers Place. Babcock was asked postgame if the Oilers needed more from goaltender Tristan Jarry. He turned it right back on the group.
“Obviously, that was pretty clear. Everyone knows that, so we might as well just move on,” Babcock said. “But our part is to play way better. That was ridiculous.”
Watch Babcock’s full postgame press conference:
Babcock talked about where the night went sideways. His list was a long one.
“We started good, then we started turning over the puck, stayed out too long on the ice, made poor decisions,” he said. “We gave up six tonight and I don’t know how many did we give up in exhibition? Five goals. Just think about that.”
Vancouver blew the game open early in the third. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson all scored in a span of 4:05 to make it 5-2.
Then the Oilers woke up. Vasily Podkolzin scored twice and Evan Bouchard finished off a hat trick, with Podkolzin’s power-play tying goal coming with 43 seconds left and Jarry pulled. Bouchard had five points on the night.
He liked the push, but he wasn’t calling the point a moral victory. He was asked about the comeback and went straight to what happened after it.
“If we’re going to do things right we’re going to have success. If we play like this we’re going to be chasing the game,” Babcock said. “To be honest with you, we’re fortunate to get a point. Great comeback, but in the end we still gave up three chances in overtime in a minute and a half.”
Paul Cotter ended it at 1:59 of overtime with his second goal of the night. Here’s how the Canucks finished off the Oilers.
Jarry made 17 saves on 23 shots. Oilers fans gave him the Bronx cheer right after Vancouver’s fifth goal went in:
The goalie didn’t dodge it afterward. Jarry was asked about his own game and said he has to be better.
“Just talking about my game, I need one or two of those,” Jarry said. “I think that’s the game-changer there. I think that puts us in a better place.”
That’s a familiar spot for him in Edmonton. Jarry posted an .857 save percentage in 19 regular-season games after the Oilers acquired him last season, and Connor Ingram took the crease heading into the playoffs.
Edmonton also played without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who Babcock says could be out two weeks.
There’s no time to stew on it. The Oilers and Canucks finish their home-and-home Thursday night in Vancouver.
