"Team is cooked against contenders": Edmonton Oilers' 5-0 loss to Dallas Stars leaves fans concerned about playoffs

The Dallas Stars handed the Edmonton Oilers a disappointing 5-0 shutout defeat on Wednesday. Now Oilers fans are concerned about the team's chances of making a deep playoff run.

During the game, Jake Oettinger's performance amazed everyone with 35 saves. In the win, the Stars achieved a franchise record with their eighth consecutive win. The Oiler's performance laid bare the areas of concern for the team.

The Edmonton Oilers' social media team shared the game's results:

In what was described as an "absolute tire fire" by one fan on X/Twitter, the Oilers' performance against a strong team like the Stars raised questions about the team's ability to compete against other top contenders.

The fan (@OilFanLethy) wrote:

"What an absolute tire fire. Team is cooked against contenders."

One fan @lukecanucks humorously said:

"Connor McSwept is a very talented hockey player. He just needs to work on his shooting, passing, defense, deking, physicality, handles, transition, hitting, and leadership to reach the level of a guy like JT Miller."

Another fan @dweeder highlighted the reliance on McDavid and goaltending:

"Haven’t seen Oilers being outsmarted outpaced like this in a LONG TIME. McDavid and goaltending carrying the team single-handedly. Mostly McDavid. We barely get the puck in the offensive zone during power plays if it is not carried in by McDavid."

A fan @kylej715 pointed out the turning point for the Stars:

"That Dallas 4 on 1 shorthanded was the turning point…"

One fan @KurtMatheSpec wrote:

"When you have to over come the deficiencies of a 9.25m "defensemen" in order to win games, you might want to address something...js"

A fan @Cole88343115, blamed the referees for the loss:

"Thanks to the refs we got robbed"

One fan @RickyRoyaltyxo supported the Oilers and said:

"We’re good boys, ran into a hot team. On to the next one"

A concerned fan @ggidkwhattoput wrote:

"bro i swear i should see improvements vs the avalanche because if there isn't....we are destined to be swept in the first round"

Edmonton Oilers' coach stresses it was a test for his team

This is what Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch had to say about the loss to the Stars:

“Absolutely a lot of credit to Dallas Stars. They’re playing really good hockey, they are really good team,” Knoblauch said. “Coming here was a challenge for us and we came up short. I thought it was a good test to see how good we are, and we still have some work do to to catch up to them.”

Edmonton is currently second in the Pacific Division with 95 points and a 45-24-5 record so far this season.