Oilers knocking on the door

I have to get in a quick word about my Edmonton Oilers - this bunch of guys are truly the cardiac kids of the NHL. It really is great fun to watch such a young team come to life and mature before my eyes.

Last night's second goal by Andrew Cogliano was a nice one, and it was set up from a nifty pass by Sam Gagner. Get used to hearing the name Gagner, who right now if the youngest player in the NHL at a spry 18 years old. For those of you who don't follow the NHL, calling Gagner the Kobe Bryant or the LeBron James of the NHL is really not a stretch; he doesn't even turn 19 until after the season in August.

With the likes of Cogliano, Gagner, the über-talented Aleš Hemský and lots of great talent on defense, this team is loaded for bear. What I'm really happy about is that the Oilers are finally owned by someone with deep pockets, so the team will be able to keep a player of Gagner's talent without losing him to spend-happy teams like the Rangers and Flyers.

Right now, the Oilers are three points out of a playoff spot, so I'm not holding my breath, but they do have a real shot to make the postseason with games coming up against Minnesota tomorrow, Calgary and Colorado. By this time next week, their fate should be determined. I'll never forget seeing them in the Cup Finals in '06 - what a wild ride it was - I can't wait for it to happen again. With all of the young stars wearing Oiler silks, it's gonna happen sooner rather than later.

Go Oilers!