PREVIEW: Oilers at Blues

Defenceman Evan Bouchard had a statement game, scoring the OT winner and adding an assist after answering tough questions a few days earlier about turnovers and mistakes – both at an individual and collective level – that played a part in Edmonton’s slow start during the month of October.

After going pointless with a minus-5 rating in his first six games of the season, Bouchard has backed up his play by silencing his critics with two goals and seven assists in his last seven appearances, and the 26-year-old has the full support of his teammates in the same way that he trusts them when on the ice.

“Isn’t that the most Bouch thing ever?” McDavid said.

“Just stands in there like he does. You guys (the media) can say what you want about him. We love him in there. We know when he’s at his best, he’s among the very best. We’ve got his back no matter what’s going on. His play can be better, everyone’s play can be better, but I’m really happy for him to get that big goal and quiet some people a little bit.”

While things will still get tougher for the Oilers, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch hopes his team continues to trend in the right direction.

“I still think we’re not playing our best hockey, and we knew at the beginning of the season it’s going to take a while to build this and get our identity,” he said. “It’s going to take a while. It’s not that we’ve solved things, and certainly, our schedule is going to get a little more difficult being on the road with Dallas and St. Louis on this trip and then the East Coast trip. All those stretches are going to be really difficult.

“But we’ve had a lot of change at the beginning of the season with the players that we had coming in. We’re trying to settle things out and put lines together, everyone understanding what our systems are and then playing the way we know we can. It’s a long process, and hopefully we’re trending the right way.”