Edmonton still struggles

Oiler Shawn Horcoff battles for the puck in last night's 4-2 loss to Anaheim

I couldn't help but noticing a bit of an insightful statement from ESPN's NHL Power Rankings. (Which are superb compared to SI's) We find the Oilers ranked 28^th out of 30, one position better than last week's 29^th. Their caption reads: “The Oilers have lost three of four while keeping their eye on the lottery pick.”

What?!? You've gotta be kitten me right meow. For a team that started off the season great at 8-2-2, Edmonton has plummeted to 25-34-6, with 56 points and well out of a playoff spot. Even the Blue Jackets are catching the Oilers! Even the Canadiens are catching the Oilers!

What's more surprising, Edmonton is looking at the possibility of three straight seasons of being rock-bottom in the league. 62 points in the last two seasons, and maybe a few more than that this season. With four of the main scoring contributors still under 23 years old, Edmonton is looking at its third straight season with a high draft pick, potentially #1 once again.

But really, what does this even mean for the Oilers? What have the past two seasons even done to prove their success with draft choices? I'm certainly not ignoring Hall and RNH's success, but the team overall is still doing miserable. What is a third straight top draft choice going to do for them? What will happen when the Oilers acquire someone like Nail Yakupov, or Ryan Murray in this year's draft? How close is this team – which hasn't graced the playoffs since their 2006 cup bid – to contending in the playoffs? (Don't forget, on that 2006 run, Edmonton was still ranked 8^th in the West overall, hardly even in the postseason)

Regardless, they still have an extremely loyal fan base, which believes it will have an incredible NHL team a few years down the road. We'll have to wait and see.

A New Look

Carlyle behind the bench last night against the Canadiens

The Maple Leafs had good leadership with the new Randy Carlyle, and defeated the Canadiens 3-1 last night, with Toronto taking 42 shots at Carey Price, compared to Montreal's 22. Compared to what we saw of Wilson for most of his 310 games, Carlyle was lively, up and down the bench, and did a great job in his first day on the job. Grabovski certainly had a great showing, collecting the game winner, and then his 20^th of the season. Toronto has a legitimate chance of still making the playoffs, though they've got to pass 4 teams in the standings in order to do it, Buffalo, Tampa, Washington, and Winnipeg, who they sit only 3 points behind. It's a tight race.

Gustavsson failing to stop Erik Cole's wide open shot in the first period. Cole scored his 23rd goal of the season on this one.

One thing Carlyle needs to improve first is the play of Toronto's defense, and their recent shaky goaltending. The first few minutes looked like a complete joke last night, not only did Gustavsson slip all on his own against the boards, he tipped the puck right in front of his open net! Had to have been the biggest clown moment of the year, I thought I was already watching SNL at 7:30 or so. If defenceman like Schenn flub their passes, and Gustavsson continues to misplay the puck, or keep falling over, Toronto, as Bob Cole once said, “won't last three games!” (in the playoffs, of course if they make it)

Speaking of Buffalo a minute ago, Vancouver sure looked like a joke in the first period last night, especially for the best team in the league right now. Toronto has to play Buffalo twice more before the end of the season, so they'll have to deal with Ville Leino, of course if he's still scoring like that in a month.

Grabovski scored two goals last night, joining Lupul and Kessel  this season at the 20-goal mark. Clarke MacArthur is next up to potentially reach the mark, currently sitting at 19 goals.

New Leafs Head Coach

Burke recently said Wilson was being "tuned out" by his players, it sure looks like it in this great perspective of a shot

1-8-1 in their last 10?

Well, that about does it for the Maple Leafs once again, I'm giving up hope on them for the 2012 playoffs. For a team that was in 7^th/8^th place and is now 5 points out a month ago, it's over. I've seen enough attempted comebacks and seen them all fail, each of the last 4 or so springs. Poor Toronto will be without the NHL playoffs once again.

As we look ahead to tonight's match-up against the Canadiens, Ron Wilson is no longer with us. After coaching 310 games for the Leafs with a mediocre record of 130-135-45, he's been ousted, a move I'm not surprised has come. (FI-RE-WIL-SON being yelled at home games probably helped, plus Schenn's awful pass a couple of nights ago) The Leafs look for some last-chance leadership with Randy Carlyle, coach of the Anaheim Ducks from 2005-2011.

Doesn't look too bad in blue and white, does he?

I'm not too worried about the coaching shift, Carlyle isn't a bad choice, since he was once a Maple Leaf himself, for a short time back in the late 1970's. He went on to have tenures with both Pittsburgh and Winnipeg. He has also coached Anaheim to a Stanley Cup, and who was working as his GM at the time? None other than Brian Burke. They obviously go way back, I feel this move could be one of the “missing pieces” for Toronto. Hey, maybe they have a chance after all.

NOW we're gonna win a Stanley Cup!