Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl called out everyone from coaches to goalies and his fellow leaders after Wednesday's 4-3 loss against the Calgary Flames.
"Not consistent enough," Draisaitl told reporters postgame. "This league's too hard to just lollygag through games and try to get winning streaks going. You need everybody. It starts with coaches. Like, everybody. You're never gonna win if you have four or five guys going. It starts at the top. We can be better. Our leaders can be better. We'll take the break and regroup."
The Oilers are second in the Pacific Division with a 28-22-8 record, but rank 15th in the NHL. Edmonton has lost its last three games, allowing 16 goals in that span.
"We gotta defend better, we gotta make it easier on (goaltender Tristan Jarry), and then I'm sure he can be a little bit better, too," Draisaitl said. "It's a two-way street, but it starts with us in front of him, and then the game becomes a little bit easier for him. But I think there are saves that our goalies need to make at some point."
Jarry has an .870 save percentage and a 3.64 goals against average in 11 games since being acquired by the Oilers.
The Oilers have gone to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, but Draisaitl feels the squad is far from their previous form.
"We're a different team," Draisaitl said. "We're not the same team. We're not as good right now. We're not even close. We need to understand that. It's time. Obviously, there's a break now, but when we come back, we gotta get going."
Edmonton returns to action after the Olympics on Feb. 25.
