Mike Babcock says there's no such thing as too much aggression, and the Oilers' opener already has people arguing about it.
The message comes right after Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to Vancouver, a game that turned into an early referendum on the new coach's style.
David Staples tracked all six goals against. His verdict: the Oilers were over-aggressive and out of position on every single one.
That's a damning line for a coach preaching pressure. Six goals against at home on opening night rarely gets explained away by bad luck.
Here's the twist. By Staples' count, Edmonton won the Grade A chances 20 to nine, and the most dangerous looks 13 to five.
So the aggression did create offence. It just left the back door wide open every time Vancouver got the puck back.
Every Canucks goal traced back to Oilers over-aggression
That's the debate in a nutshell. Babcock's approach tilted the ice, and it also handed the Canucks the kind of chances no goalie wants to face.
There's absolutely such a thing as too much aggression, and opening night showed it six times. Pressure without structure is a gamble, and the Oilers lost it on home ice.
It's like flooring the gas on an icy road. You'll get somewhere fast, just not where you meant to go.
Babcock was hired June 23, and he's already made bold calls. Owen Michaels survived camp while Josh Samanski went to Bakersfield.
Now the tactics get the same scrutiny as the roster choices. Every Oilers goal against this month will be replayed with one question attached.
The rematch is Thursday in Vancouver, before Seattle visits Saturday. Stan Bowman hired a coach with conviction, and conviction gets tested fastest when the goals against pile up.
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If Babcock tweaks the system, it's a quiet admission the quote went too far. Stand pat, and Thursday could look a lot like Tuesday.
Is Mike Babcock right that there's no such thing as too much aggression?
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