The Edmonton Oilers are starting to show their age. The Oilers are the youngest team in the National Hockey League with an average age of 26.2 years and perhaps it is contributing to their demise. The first 2½ months of the season, in which Edmonton led the Northwest Division comfortably over Colorado and Calgary, was an aberration. The Oilers no longer look like a team capable of competing for the division title but rather one that will scramble for a playoff spot -- again.
The Avalanche stormed into Skyreach Centre last night with a four-point lead for top spot and two games in hand on the Oilers and left with a six-point lead after defeating the Oilers 4-2.
Colorado scored three times in the first period including goals nine seconds apart from Adam Foote and Chris Drury and killed off two five-on-three disadvantages en route to the convincing victory. Ville Nieminen had Colorado's other goal in the opening period. Milan Hejduk had an empty-netter in the third. Shawn Horcoff and Jochen Hecht scored for the Oilers.
The numbers aren't pretty for Edmonton, which has lost three in a row, has one win in its past eight games and just two in its past 10. The Oilers have scored 24 goals in that span and surrendered 31. Better teams are beating them, teams with worse records are beating them and it seems there is little the Oilers can do about it.
Anson Carter has two goals in the past 20 games; Mike Comrie has three in the past 12 and veteran Todd Marchant has not scored in his past 21 games. Defencemen Janne Niinimaa and Tom Poti combined for 24 goals last season and only have three between them this year.
This team is in need of one of two things: For the Oilers to start playing over their heads as they did in October and November, or to acquire some veterans to elevate the play of Ryan Smyth and Carter. That would also take some heat off the young stars such as Comrie and Eric Brewer, who have been saddled with the responsibility of leading this team.
The Oilers are heading in one direction in the standings -- south. Just 10 days ago they were in second place in the Western Conference and now they're in sixth a mere three points up on Los Angeles with the Kings holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. As much as the team and management don't want to or feel they don't have to, the Oilers are in need of changes in order to head back in the other direction before it's too late.
Fuelled by an inciting column in a local newspaper stating "Poti must go" fans at Skyreach Centre were all over the mistake-prone defenceman whenever he touched the puck. But they were in an owly mood anyway and as vocal in their disdain for the team's poor performance as they've been this season. The fans have come through, though, for the Oilers will near 98-per-cent capacity and 16 sellouts at home games.
Edmonton's next game is Saturday at home against Toronto.
Notes: Attendance last night was 16,634. . . . Oilers forward Josh Green was a late scratch because of a bruised hand suffered in a fight in the game against San Jose on Monday. . . . The Oilers have a 15-11-1-0 record in 27 games at Skyreach Centre, outscoring opponents 78-65.
Edmonton is 11th overall in the NHL and eighth in the Western Conference on home ice. . . . Avs defenceman Todd Gill played in his 1,000th career game on Monday in Buffalo. . . . Patrick Roy is the only goalie in NHL history to record 200 wins for two different teams (Montreal and Colorado). Heath Brown writes for TSNMAX.ca