Two more goals on the power play moved the Oilers up to 12th in the league with a success rate of 20.8% and when you couple that with the penalty kill, which sits 4th in the league, it is no real surprise that Edmonton has had the start they have. If you win the special team battle, nine times out of ten you win the game.

After a quiet game against the Avalanche on Friday night, the kids rebounded with a very strong effort. Taylor Hall was arguably the best of the three on the night but only had an assist to show for it, as Halak robbed him on two point blank opportunities. The trio continue to create a ton of chances, be it 5-on-5 or on the power play.

Jeff Petry stepped in for the suspended Andy Sutton and was fantastic all night. Playing in all situations, the young defenceman logged nearly 23 minutes of ice which trailed only Tom Gilbert and Ladislav Smid. The only reason Petry was sent down to Oklahoma was because of numbers but with Ryan Whitney out for an extended period of time, look for Petry to become a regular, while others take a turn in the press box.

Khabibulin was not tested like he had been in previous games but the netminder continues to be solid, night in and night out. The Blues came hard in third, throwing 14 shots his way and while one managed to get past him, the veteran did not allow them to get back into the game. The play of both goaltenders has been the major reason why the Oilers sit where they do in the standings. Edmonton currently leads the league with a goals against average of 1.46 and have allowed a grand total of eleven even strength goals on the season...simply mid boggling!!!

The Bad

With the likely suspension of rugged blueliner Andy Sutton and injuries to both Whitney and Barker, though the latter does not appear to be serious, the Oilers backend is starting to become paper thin. Couple that with an extended road trip and Edmonton may have some struggles over the next couple of weeks.

While the third and fourth lines have been better of late, they still have nothing on the score sheet. You don't expect much scoring from your fourth line but the third line has to chip in, especially with an extended road trip staring them in the face. The trio of Magnus Paajarvi, Sam Gagner and Eric Belanger continue to get little done and they have a grand total of two assists between them on the season. Obviously, this is a major concern moving forward.