Oilers Proving That Hard Work Really Does Pay Off

Training Camp for the 2007-08 season was a major youth movement for the Edmonton Oilers. Something that wasn't really expected with head coach Craig MacTavish more prone to give the ice-time to a proven veteran, rather than a young prospect. So when Anson Carter was invited to participate in training camp, many bloggers already had him pencilled into the roster. But a strong showing from the MVP of the Super Series, Sam Gagner, and highly touted prospect Andrew Cogliano, things changed. Both made the team out of the gates, and were exceptional in their pre-season match-ups. More youth made the line-up as an injury to captain Ethan Moreau (who hadn't played a game since the beginning of 2006) opened up room for the likes of Kyle Brodziak to prove himself to the coaching staff.

Heading into opening night, it was a very different Oilers team. Something that the opposition wasn't ready for. A solidified blue-line of Souray, Staios, Gilbert, Tarnstrom, Greene, and Pitkanen was set in front of a tandem of Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon. The forwards were replenished and rejuvanted with Horcoff, Hemsky, Penner, Gagner, Cogliano, Torres, Stoll, Reasoner, Brodziak, Sanderson, and a rotation of young players including Zach Stortini and Robert Nilsson, it was looking like a high-scoring squad that had been expected from the previous season, but failed to live up to expectations.

This year's team is no different from any other, as we are still riddled with injuries. Souray was out for up to a month with a seperated shoulder, Pitkanen has been on and off with a flu, and Fernando Pisani was out with a case of Ulcerative Colitis. Though since the season has began, our roster solidified into something that seems to be working for us.

Souray, Moreau, and Pisani have all returned, while Matt Greene and Raffi Torres are out, with the latter out for the remainder of the season. The players we have called up to fill the void have been playing exceptionally, and even the transition game of Marty Reasoner from a centreman to a left winger to cover for Raffi has been instrumental in the resurgence of not only Jarret Stoll, but the goal-scoring of the Oilers.

But like I said earlier, we are now officially forty-six games into play, and the oilers are only tied for 12th in the Western Conference, but this season has proven itself to be a tight run, probably until the last game is played. Forty six games down, and only five points out of a play-off spot. I don't know folks, but I think they might just pull it off.

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