'You need to get your toes stepped on': Edmonton Oilers coach praised for tough love tactic

Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch benched Leon Draisaitl for a few shifts with the Oilers down 3 -2 against Philadelphia in the third period .

The Oilers had lost three games in a row and were down to losing a fourth in the league.

Edmonton came back to beat the Flyers in overtime to win in their second straight game.

Oilers got off to a slow start, with their stars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl , leading the way to the bottom.

Both seemed to be going at 1/2 speed in the pre-season , then 2/3 speed even as the regular season started.

The Oilers stars were all banged up in the playoffs, with McDavid down a quart or two .

They need time to recuperate, get healthy and then get back in playing shape, but I suspect time ran out on them in their short summer .

Oilers coach Knoblauch is one of the strangest NHL coaches I’ve ever seen.

He has such a high level of emotional intelligence, an ability to calmly say the diplomatic and smart thing about his team and opponents.

He’s almost never harsh or angry. He's understanding.