POST-RAW | Kris Knoblauch 12.06.25

POST-RAW | Kris Knoblauch 12.06.25

Chris, how do you rate that one in terms of a full effort from all 20 guys that dressed tonight? Well, I’d say the first two periods it was a 10 out of 10. I loved a lot of things. Um, you know, offensively, I thought we had uh created a lot. Um, just the confidence with the puck. We’re moving it fast. And then defensively, I don’t think we gave up very much in the first 40. And then third period, there’s obviously a score effects where, you know, we weren’t our best. we lay back a little bit and um but overall it was a a pretty solid game. I mean, you talk about confidence a lot. You know, some guys getting points tonight. Frederick Tamshek, who’s missed a couple games, Lazar who’s been out and hurt. I mean, just the value of those guys seeing their their names on the score sheet tonight. Yeah, nice. Those um well, just talking about our fourth line and there’s been a lot of games or stretches where they’ve been in the lineup or just haven’t got much opportunity and tonight um yeah, it was nice to see those two guys get a couple goals. Trent, one of his better games this year, um yeah, it was nice to get some secondary scoring. We haven’t had very much of it lately, but uh you know you know Yanmark the other night getting a goal and those two getting one tonight. So um I’ve been very happy with that. Chris, outside of the game where you guys have to come back from the long road trip, you’ve put some pretty good games together. Did you do you feel like maybe this team is turning the kind of the corner and playing the way that you kind of expected them to play? Well, a lot of things are going in our in our direction right now. you know, first of all, the the importance of the games, falling out of the playoff picture and um playing catch-up and there’s a lot of urgency to win hockey games. That’s a lot of having a lot to do with it. But also right now with our schedule, one, we’ve been able to practice. We’ve been able to work on things and um we’ve also been able to give the guys rest when they needed it. And when we’re traveling as much as we were in the first six or seven weeks, we’ve been either traveling or playing games, which isn’t ideal. But right now with our schedule, last two weeks, we’ve had numerous practices and we’ve been able to give the guys some days offs. Um, I guess it’s a chicken and egg thing. You’re playing better defensively, you’re getting better goalending, or is it, you know, one or the two? Is that or is a combination of of that? That’s kind of where it seems to have started the turnaround. Well, I think it starts with um the team defending much better and not giving up so many great A opportunities and then when you’re doing that the um it’s so much easier for the goalender to play. Um you know it’s consistent. You know what kind of shots you’re giving up and and then once in a while you need to come up with a big save then you do it. But when you do have to when you’re relying on your goalie to do it over and over again, it’s it’s not easy for them and they just break down and they give up goals. So yes, our goalending has been much better, but I think it starts with how much better we’re defending in front of them. I think it was maybe 5-1 in the third period and Dryidle is having a conversation with Seavoy on the bench and it’s yeah pretty animated and just continuing to push for more and more like what what role does Leon play in bringing a player like that on and helping to push for more and more not being complacent that kind of thing. Well, you see um you know his relationship with Pod Coulson now and especially when Pod Coulson was just early in his career, early in his time with um with the Oilers, you know, we spent a lot of time with him, a lot of conversations and they still have conversations, but he was that mentor and he was helping him with his game and how they two could work together and become a a good pair. I know he’s been doing the same thing with Savvy. You know, you know, obviously uh I think Leon has a lot of respect for Savvy and um just trying to get the most out of him. You know, Savy’s been playing really well, but there’s obviously things that he can still work on and get better at. And there’s um you know it’s just the more conversation they can have the better they can work on their or their um um just building together becoming a good pair. What have you seen from Seavoy here in the last few games as the points are starting to trickle into his game here? I think just confidence with the puck and um you know more you are you know more confidence you have more the the game slows down for you and you’re able to make better plays with a puck and you know I don’t think um I don’t recall him early on turning pucks over or making bad decisions but he’s able to hold it an extra second and just shield a guy off or skate where it’s um some quiet ice so we can make the next play. So, I just think it’s a lot of uh confidence with the puck is what’s been the difference in his game of late. Guess Chris, we forgot to ask you this morning about Clattenburg and how he’s doing after taking that that stick in the face. Uh he’s doing pretty well, but there’s going to be some uh he’s going to have to take some time off. Um he had stitches above his eye and um you know, for the swelling to go down, it’s it’ll be Yeah. at least a week.

Kris addresses the media as his team was victorious over the Winnipeg Jets on Hockey Night in Canada.