Kris Knoblauch Slams Oilers After 5-2 Loss to Maple Leafs

Head coach Kris Knoblauch did not hold back after the Edmonton Oilers dropped a 5-2 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

As the game began, both teams looked strong, and the first period ended 0-0. However, the Leafs got the first goal in the second, and since then, the Oilers were in a constant chase mode. It was a disappointing game for Connor McDavid, who led Oilers against Auston Matthews‘ Leafs.

The Oilers have now allowed 32 goals over their last seven games and have shown defensive and goaltending issues. And in their eight-game home stand, they won only four.

Speaking after the loss, Knoblauch looked back on the stretch and pointed to a wide range of issues.

“A little bit of everything,” Knoblauch said. “Five-on-five defending, obviously the penalty kill, we talked about that. How many penalty goals we’ve given up. Some goaltending. A little bit of everything. We’ve got to make sure we reduce those. That’s obvious.”

Matias Maccelli scored twice for the Maple Leafs, and Matthew Knies added a goal and an assist. John Tavares scored his 20th of the season, while Bobby McMann sealed the game with an empty-net goal. Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves, including a late diving stop on Leon Draisaitl.

Edmonton briefly found life when Kasperi Kapanen tied the game at 2-2. That momentum vanished quickly, as consecutive penalties to Matthew Savoie and Mattias Janmark set up a Toronto 5-on-3. Tavares and Maccelli scored during the power-play advantage. Meanwhile, Edmonton went scoreless on its only power-play chance.

Knoblauch acknowledged that urgency is rising as the season tightens. With roughly a little over 20 games left, he said the alert level is much higher than in the early months.

“Absolutely,” Knoblauch said about urgency. “Anytime you’re fighting for first place or fighting to get into the playoffs, urgency always ramps up. Yeah, we’re at that.”

Edmonton sits tied with Vegas in the Pacific Division with a 28-21-8 record. Offense remains their strength behind McDavid, who leads the league with 95 points.

The Oilers have now lost back-to-back home games, with their previous loss being 7-3 against the Minnesota Wild. They visit Calgary on Wednesday as pressure continues to build, before the Olympics break.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kris Knoblauch Slams Oilers After 5-2 Loss to Maple Leafs

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