Oilers @ Avalanche

The Oilers are on the ice tonight playing the second half of their back-to-back set, a couple of games that, admittedly, have not gotten off to a great start. The Only up-side to tonight's game is that the Avalanche are also coming off of a disappointing loss last night, theirs a 5-2 effort versus the St. Louis Blues.

I didn't have to opportunity to watch the game last night, so I turned to 630 CHED and listened to it, almost all of it any way. After we were down 3-1 I knew we weren't coming back, and yet I didn't turn the radio off until we were down 5-1. The last 5 minutes or so of the game sounded incredibly demoralizing, although Souray absolutely wasted Weller (I wonder if Souray pushing Moreau out of the way could be seen as more than just a, "no I want him," move. If this were a novel that I was studying in English I know it would be some sort of metaphor or foreshadowing event).

And can I say that I wanted to get up and dance around my workplace when Ladislav Smid got into a fight? I'm serious, I love it when Ladi fights: I cheer him on from my living room. Loudly. Also a note to Ladislav: my mom called me last night just before the fight broke out, she was watching the game, and then proceeded to tell me that you are much more attractive without your helmet. In other words: she really likes your hair, even when it has been stuck under a sweaty helmet for a while; that's good, right?

Enough about last night's game and Ladislav's hair: onto the task at hand.

If the Oilers want to squeak in to a playoff spot by the end of the month this game is as close to a must-win as it gets without actually being a must-win. In order for the Oilers to be in a playoff spot by the end of this month the team needs to start playing much better, unless every one else tanks: which, unfortunately is unlikely. It is also something to note that had the Oilers won last night they would've been in 8th place this morning: not that I think the Wild will hold that place for too long, they'll either shoot up or trip and fall down for good, 8th is not likely to be their destiny. The Avalanche is a team that I did not include in my calculations the other day, I completely overlooked them They've played one more game than we have and have the same point total as we do, we need to start winning divisional games and tonight would be a good time to get that going.