They allowed 4 PP goals against Minnesota and lost that game 4-2. The Oilers could not hold the fort against the Flames, allowing a PP goal in the third period, which broke a 3-3 tie, resulting in a 5-3 loss including an empty netter. And last game, the Oilers allowed 2 PP goals and lost the game 4-3 to the Canucks.
The coaching staff implemented a new aggressive system that worked great in the first two games, but has been exploited. Some people are saying that teams have scouted this team's aggressive manner and have been able to score goals, but I don't think this is the case.
I know it's a little unfair, but I'm putting the blame on Khabibulin. In hockey, your best penalty killer is the goalie. Khabibulin has been in goal for all PP goals and has one of the worst GAA in the league (3.44) and a poor save percentage too (.897). Poor goaltending is destroying this offensively gifted team, ranked 7th in goals per game. And if you have seen any game, you may have noticed most of the PP goals scored occur very early and on the first shot too.
In the Minnesota game, M. Koivu scored two PP goals in less than a minute, on successive power plays, both goals occurring in the first minute of the power play. Against Calgary (Oct 26), the Oilers received a penalty in the second period with 32 seconds to go, and Calgary scored 12 seconds later before the period could end.
Dubnyk on the other hand, who has only started one game this year, faced 7 power plays and did not allow a single goal against Columbus. The team ended up earning a single point by forcing OT, but lost in the shoot out. They were key saves that kept the team in the game and the Oilers offensive talent allowed them to tie it up.
I know it's not scientific or even fair to compare Dubnyk's one game to Khabibulin's nine games played, but the facts are there. If the team's poor penalty killing was because of an aggressive system exploited by scouting, then how can a game in which the Oilers took 7 penalties, the most in one game this season so far, be perfect when Dubnyk started? I won't bet on it yet, but the next time Dubnyk starts, he will be able to stand tall and keep the Oilers in the game, unlike Khabibulin, who has been riddled with personal issues, injury, and aging muscles.
Now, I'm definitely not saying this team would be an elite PK team if Dubnyk started. Heck they'd probably be in the bottom 10 still, because there are still many things that need to be worked on, like net presence and shot-blocking, but without a goalie being able to make the big save, especially on a man advantage, how can this Oiler team expect to beat the pundit's and make a playoff run?
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