McDavid: Praise for Lightning wasn't 'taking shots' at Knoblauch

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid insisted his glowing comments about the Tampa Bay Lightning's structure following Saturday's contest weren't intended as a jab at head coach Kris Knoblauch.

"We're not taking shots," McDavid said Monday, per TSN's Ryan Rishaug. "It's just, everybody can be better, myself included. Everybody can be better. It was more just complimentary of a great team in this league that came in and played a good game, nothing more than that."

McDavid added, "Not sure how it was taken that way, it wasn't supposed to be that way. ... Obviously, I understand how people could look at it that way, but it's not what I was intending to do at all."

After the Lightning defeated the Oilers 5-2 on Saturday night, McDavid gushed about Tampa Bay's coaching. Bolts bench boss Jon Cooper coached McDavid and Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Olympics.

"They have a great system. They're perfectly coached," McDavid said of the Lightning on Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "They all know what they're doing all over the ice. It's impressive. They're a great team.

"They're extremely well-coached, they're extremely well-organized. They're very rehearsed in everything they do. It's very impressive."

The Lightning have won two Stanley Cups under Cooper's tutelage and are sixth in the NHL standings with 91 points. The Oilers are in a playoff spot in the Pacific Division with 77 points through 71 games but have regressed from the standard that helped them reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl raised eyebrows prior to the Olympic break by suggesting Edmonton's season-long quest to find consistency "starts with coaches." He's out for the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

Knoblauch is in his third season with the Oilers. He's guided the club to a 94-47-10 regular-season record and a 29-18 mark in the playoffs.