After beginning the season as one of the NHL's hottest teams, the Edmonton Oilers have crashed back to earth and are in the midst of a six-game losing streak.

Edmonton fell 5-1 to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, despite holding a 36-25 shot advantage over Toronto. 

"I think the most frustrating part of the whole thing is that if you look at the last three or four games, we played in stretches better than the teams we were playing against," forward Colton Sceviour said. "Then when we gave up opportunities, we gave up Grade A-pluses and I think that's probably the thing we need to get over the most.

"Some of those chances we're giving up, you can't afford to give them up against good players in the NHL, because they're going to end up in the back of your net."

The Oilers, who were without head coach Dave Tippett on Tuesday as a precaution before he eventually entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, dropped to 0-0-5 on their current homestand, which has just one game remaining in it.

"I think we started really well," said associate coach Jim Playfair, who filled in for Tippett. "We had a game plan to be aggressive and go straight ahead, and I thought we did that for the most part in the first period and it led to some really good chances for us.

"I thought we continued that mindset in the second but coming out of the first with a goal being scored against us… that puts you behind the eight ball and now you're chasing a little bit and we've done that, as we all know, too often lately."

The Oilers have been outscored 20-6 during their six-game losing skid, with NHL point leaders Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both being held off the scoresheet for the second straight game Tuesday.

Edmonton has slipped to fourth in the Pacific Division and currently hold the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They will play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.