{"id":536105,"date":"2026-04-02T06:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T06:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/536105\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T06:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T06:28:08","slug":"connor-murphy-reveals-how-kris-knoblauch-changed-the-oilers-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/536105\/","title":{"rendered":"Connor Murphy reveals how Kris Knoblauch changed the Oilers’ defense"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t \"Connor <\/p>\n

Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n

Connor Murphy echoes Kris Knoblauch’s message as the Edmonton Oilers double down on a simpler defensive structure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt keeps things more sound, limits some of the zone time,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n

That line hits right at what’s changing on the ice.<\/p>\n

Edmonton isn’t chasing plays as much. They’re controlling them.<\/p>\n

The results are showing up quickly, with a W4 run and 85 points in a tight Pacific race.<\/p>\n

Knoblauch has clearly pushed for cleaner hockey out of his blue line.<\/p>\n

Murphy didn’t overcomplicate it either.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeps everyone in a better position to not panic,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

That’s the shift. Less scrambling, more structure.<\/p>\n

Structure over chaos on Edmonton blue line<\/p>\n

Murphy’s usage tells the story.<\/p>\n

He logged 22:08 in the 3-0 win over Seattle, handling steady defensive minutes without forcing offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd be able to bounce back the next shift to play more offence,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n

This isn’t just about defending. It’s about resetting quickly and getting the puck moving north.<\/p>\n

In March, Murphy recorded 3 points in 10 games with a -2 rating.<\/p>\n

Not flashy. But exactly the profile Knoblauch is leaning on right now.<\/p>\n

Defensive zone starts. Penalty kill shifts. Late-game protection.<\/p>\n

Edmonton is spending less time trapped in their own end.<\/p>\n

That keeps the bench calmer and the forwards fresher.<\/p>\n

The top six don’t have to swing as low anymore, which helps their transition game.<\/p>\n

Murphy averaged 20:29 per game in March, steady second-pair usage without power-play time.<\/p>\n

Hold the line. Move the puck. Get off.<\/p>\n

With Anaheim still ahead in the division, there’s no room for loose shifts.<\/p>\n

Knoblauch isn’t chasing highlight plays right now.<\/p>\n

He’s building a team that can absorb pressure and respond the next shift.<\/p>\n

Murphy’s words match exactly what Edmonton is trying to become.<\/p>\n

Simple. Direct. Hard to break down.<\/p>\n

Previously on Edmonton Hockey Daily<\/p>\n

POLL<\/p>\n

10 HOURS AGO|68 ANSWERS<\/p>\n

Connor Murphy reveals how Kris Knoblauch changed the Oilers’ defense<\/p>\n

Is this simpler defensive style the right formula for a playoff run ?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers Connor Murphy echoes Kris Knoblauch’s message as the Edmonton Oilers double…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5125],"tags":[1563,198,146,5300,5,2854,4,61575,28257,24,61576],"class_list":{"0":"post-536105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edmonton-oilers","8":"tag-connor-murphy","9":"tag-edmonton","10":"tag-edmonton-oilers","11":"tag-edmontonoilers","12":"tag-hockey","13":"tag-kris-knoblauch","14":"tag-nhl","15":"tag-nhl-pacific-division-standings","16":"tag-nhl-playoff-race","17":"tag-oilers","18":"tag-oilers-defense-system"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116333701454529850","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}