\u2014 Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It would be one thing if the Oilers failed to hold two-goal leads in just these last two games on back-to-back nights, but the issue extends beyond that.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve now\u00a0done it six times already this season, tops in the NHL. They\u2019re 2-1-3 in those scenarios, which means they\u2019ve relinquished five such points in only 15 games. It\u2019s a big reason why they own a mediocre 6-5-4 record overall.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too many of these right now,\u201d Nugent-Hopkins said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that we need to fix and continue to improve on.\u201d<\/p>\n Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was particularly displeased by how the Oilers lost their edge on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the type of chances where we lose focus, lose responsibilities and letting them in a good position to make a good play,\u201d Knoblauch said. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing if the opposition is making good plays and beating your coverage, but we\u2019re just making mistakes where we\u2019re giving them opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Mikko Rantanen scored his second goal of the game off a rush to pull the Stars within a goal 8:37 into the third. Miro Heiskanen tied the game less than four minutes later when he collected a carom off the boards and was unguarded for an easy tally.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t dissimilar to the way the Oilers allowed the eventual game-winning goal in St. Louis on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to make big plays at critical times and not make the mistakes at critical times,\u201d Knoblauch said. \u201cWe need to play better.\u201d<\/p>\n Facing a friendly foe<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s loss came against an opponent Knoblauch has been a fan of through the early going.<\/p>\n It might sound odd for an NHL coach to support a rival team, especially one they\u2019ve fought, and continue to fight, for Western Conference supremacy. But there\u2019s a reason for the allegiance, which Knoblauch said Tuesday has lessened.<\/p>\n That reason is Stars coach Glen Gulutzan.<\/p>\n \u201cI have tremendous respect for Glen,\u201d Knoblauch told The Athletic, noting Gulutzan\u2019s NHL resume. \u201cWhen I came here (in November 2023), I didn\u2019t know what to expect. I didn\u2019t know my staff at all. I\u2019d never met any of them. I wasn\u2019t sure how things were going to work. I was overwhelmed. I was taking on a lot of water or drinking water out of a fire hose.<\/p>\n \u201cI relied on Glen quite a bit to settle things down and to get his perspective on what we should be doing. I relied on him right till the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Gulutzan is early in his second tour of duty as Stars coach after seven seasons as an assistant with the Oilers. He got the Dallas job over the summer<\/a> after helping the Oilers defeat the Stars in back-to-back Western Conference finals.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody understands the business,\u201d Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. \u201cEverybody has to look out for their best interests. There probably aren\u2019t many coaches not putting their hands up for that job in Dallas.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t hold anything against him. It\u2019s nice to see him get that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Glen Gulutzan (left) spent seven years as an assistant with the Oilers before taking the head coaching job with the Stars last summer. (Elsa \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n That opportunity came under unusual circumstances.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2157023414-scaled-e1762328967685.jpg\")
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