Oilers booed off ice as tensions boil over: 'We need to be a whole lot f****** better'

Tensions are boiling over in Edmonton.

En route to dropping to 1-5-1 on the season, the Edmonton Oilers were booed by their own fans at various points of their 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday evening. The worst of it came heading into the second intermission when Oilers fans booed their team throughout the final 30 seconds of the period.

“It’s easy to point fingers. Everyone’s got to look in the mirror and be a whole lot [expletive] better,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse told reporters post-game.

The Oilers have been awful this season and it predates Connor McDavid being sidelined with an injury.

Seven games into the season, Edmonton is averaging 2.43 goals per game (26th), 4.29 goals against per game (30th) and boast an abysmal .860 team save percentage (31st). Their only saving grace is their power play — the NHL’s best over the previous three seasons — which is converting at a 25.9% clip (8th).

It’s safe to assume nobody at the NHL offices envisioned the Oilers stumbling into Sunday’s Heritage Classic like this. But it should make for some entertaining hockey, given that the Calgary Flames are going through similar turmoil.

The Flames are 2-5-1 to start the year. They, too, were booed by their fans Thursday night at the tail-end of the St. Louis Blues shutting them out 3-0.

"I just want to apologize to our fans, we're playing like [expletive] right now," Zadorov told reporters.

This wasn’t the first time Zadorov has sounded off on his team this season. Two days before his most recent comments, the 6-foot-6 defenseman pulled back the curtain on some of the issues happening with Calgary’s room.

"We’re only six games into the season and we’re trying to figure out who wants to be here, who wants to play for who,” Zadorov told reporters.

Zadorov also spoke of how last season's struggles shouldn’t have bled into this season.

"Last season was different. It was Darryl. Now, there's no Darryl, so there's no excuses," Zadorov said. “You know what I mean? You guys don't like hard coaches? You don't like soft coaches? You don't like good coaches? Fair.”

So far, Calgary’s season has unravelled similarly to Edmonton’s. The Flames are averaging 2.13 goals per game (29th), 3.50 goals against and a .878 save percentage (26th).

Take the over on any penalty minute props for the upcoming Battle of Alberta.