The Oilers are really unlucky right now. I guess that's good luck for the Blues.
Before they came here to St. Louis on Jan. 5, Edmonton lost super rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with a dislocated hyphen. He still hasn't returned to the lineup. Since that game where the Blues were down 3-1 in the third and scored three consecutive goals for the win, the Oilers have gone 1-3-1. One of those losses was a 4-0 shutout to Anaheim. How the hell does any NHL team lose to Anaheim by that margin? That's not bad luck, that's effort right there.
Then on Tuesday, lightning struck twice. During the warm-up skate, young gun Taylor Hall took a spill. Laying on the ice, probably flopping like a large mouth bass, teammate Cory Potter tried to avoid him by attempting to jump over his head. He was not successful and his skate blade cut Hall in the head. Now I know skate injuries to the head area are normally nothing to laugh at, but this one probably is. Did Potter think he was one of the old time barrel jumpers on Wide World of Sports (the agony of defeat, indeed)? And the Oilers' response to the injury: mandate players wear helmets during warm-ups. I guess it would prevent Potter from going all Gallagher on Hall's head like a doomed watermelon.
Then during the game the Oilers were up 2-0 in the second but allowed the tying goal at 19:59 of the period. Yep, one second left and the tying goal is in the back of the net. And with Ryan Smith on the roster, the Oilers are apparently emotionally fragile. They allowed two in the third for a 4-2 defeat. Four unanswered goals. Pathetic.
Brian Elliott has a new contract, the Blues are still right at the top of the standings and have captured 13 of a possible 14 points this month. Things continue looking up.
This is your game day thread. Pretend like ever comment is a skate blade to the head of the Edmonton Oilers.