EDMONTON \u2014 A little help, please.<\/p>\n
The Edmonton Oilers<\/a> are a one-line team with a defenceman who is fourth in the NHL in scoring. And they can\u2019t blame injuries for that anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need more, for sure,\u201d said head coach Mike Babcock, whose team lost just their second game this season \u2014 but in regal fashion. It was a 7-2 blowout aired coast to coast, under the glare of the Saturday night lights against the Toronto Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n There are the one or two nights a year that a coach should be able to count on a passionate effort from all 20 players.<\/p>\n Leafs head coach Jim Hiller got it from his side. But Babcock?<\/p>\n \u201cJim Hiller had his group playing harder than I had my group. That\u2019s on me,\u201d said Babcock.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a shame,\u201d said Edmonton winger Kasperi Kapanen, after a pointless, minus-2 night for the former Leaf. \u201cIt’s Saturday night against these guys. It\u2019s what we live for as hockey players, and it just wasn’t enough today. They were just better.\u201d<\/p>\n The rest of the team? They ghosted this one.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Toronto got goals from the dynamic Troy Stecher, plus depth wingers Zack MacEwen and Vinni Lettieri.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir bottom six was better than ours,\u201d admitted Babcock. \u201cThe bottom line is, they were better than us. They were more competitive than us. They were quicker than us. We can blame anybody we want.\u201d<\/p>\n