The Edmonton Oilers got a harsh preview of life without Connor McDavid on Monday night, suffering a lopsided 6-1 defeat against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch described the performance as “deflating.” Instead of stepping up, the Oilers quickly fell behind, down 3-0 within the first 15 minutes. Their only goal came in the final 30 seconds of the game, well after the outcome had been decided.
McDavid sustained an injury after landing awkwardly on his first shift of the game. He is returning to Edmonton for evaluation and is expected to miss Thursday’s game in Nashville.
The Oilers are struggling across the board, with their offense and penalty kill ranked near the bottom of the league. Knoblauch and general manager Stan Bowman are assessing potential call-ups to help fill the void McDavid has left.
