On Tuesday Oct. 29 the Edmonton Oilers will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rexall Place in the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. The last time they met, on Oct. 12, the Leafs came out on top with a 6-5 overtime win.
I am writing this column to extend an open invite to all Oilers fans to come jump on the Leafs bandwagon. Come on, there is no better time than now.
How much more of this suffering can you take? The Oilers have finished 30th, 30th, 29th and 24th in the league the last four seasons.
Sure, they have built up a young core but they haven't really added to it. Edmonton's biggest off-season additions consisted of landing Andrew Ference, a top-four defenseman, Boyd Gordon, a third-line checking center and Jason LaBarberba, a borderline backup goalie. Might as well go chalk up another finish in the bottom third of the league with those head-turning additions.
The Oilers have been unimpressive out of the gate and currently sit dead last in the Western Conference with a 3-8-2 record, having lost three straight games.
The Leafs, on the other hand, are second in the Eastern Conference with an 8-4 record and are coming off a impressive 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
These two teams are exact opposites and are headed in different directions.
Sunday night marked the season debut of Oilers third-string net minder Richard Bachman. He was pretty much forced into action with Edmonton's other two goalies, Devan Dubnyk (4.01) and Jason LaBarbera (3.65) currently owning the leagues last and second last GAA (goals against average) this season.
Meanwhile the Leafs arguably have two number-one goalies in Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, both of which have GAA's under 2.6 this season.
As for offense, even with three straight first-overall draft picks the Oilers are struggling to put it together on a consistent basis. They are 18th in the league in goals per game, scoring two goals or less in seven of their 13 games this season.
The Leafs are fourth in goals per game having scored four goals or more in seven of their 12 games. They boast balanced scoring and depth and have been able to compete with some of the top teams in the league. A big part of this is due to an active General Manager, Dave Nonis, who went out and added useful players to the team in the off-season. Trades netted the Leafs Bernier and center Dave Bolland, while free agency brought in forward David Clarkson and Mason Raymond and defenseman Paul Ranger, all of which are playing key roles on this successful Leafs squad.
It's clear to me which one of these teams you should be cheering for.
Even if the Oilers pull out some magic and beat the Leafs on Oct. 29, Oilers fans better enjoy the victory and hope that enjoyment lasts until April, when the Leafs are in the playoffs and the Oilers are staring down another top-10 draft pick.
