Game 71: Edmonton 3 Calgary 1

While the Edmonton Oilers may have dealt the Calgary Flames a big blow in their push to qualify for post season play with last night's 3-1 win, it was the Flames who delivered the big knockout blow on the evening. Jordan Eberle led the charge with three points and rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice in pacing the Oilers to their second consecutive win over their provincial rivals. Calgary defenceman Cory Sarich knocked star forward Taylor Hall out with a huge hit early in the first period and the Oilers youngster did not return.

Game 70: Edmonton 3 Columbus 0

While the competition may not have been the stiffest they have faced of late, the Edmonton Oilers apparently took their head coach's message from two nights earlier to heart. They completely dominated the last place Columbus Blue Jackets in a rather workman like performance and won for only the second time in their last ten home games, by a score of 3-0. Devan Dubnyk had one of his easiest nights of the season, stopping all twenty-two shots he faced and centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins led the charge upfront, with a goal and an assist. That gives the talented rookie forty-three points on the season and leaves him just three points shy of regaining the rookie scoring lead, despite missing twenty games due to injury.

Should Hall wear the "C" for the Oilers next season?

With The Edmonton Oilers putting the finishing touches on what has been another disappointing season, many Oiler fans are looking for blood. With Edmonton's recent struggles and word that there may be some turmoil within the dressing room, many are calling into question the leadership skills of captain Shawn Horcoff. Not surprisingly, with the masses becoming restless the rumblings have started that the organization needs to hand over the captaincy to the heir apparent, in one Taylor Hall. In my mind, there is little doubt that Hall will be the Oilers next captain but placing that sort of burden on the kid, at this stage of the game, would be the worst possible thing this organization could do to their budding superstar.

Game 69: San Jose 3 Edmonton 2

After yet another less then stellar performance on home ice, Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney had seen enough and decided to call out his players, after many decided to simply mail it in against the San Jose Sharks. Last night's 3-2 loss was another low point for a struggling Oilers side that is playing out the string. San Jose's Logan Couture scored the winner early in the third for a Sharks team that are in desperate need of two points on a nightly basis and now sit just one point out of eighth place but have three games in hand on the Colorado Avalanche.

It Would Be Wise To Keep Renney Around

As the 2011-2012 campaign draws to close, the Edmonton Oilers are staring at a sixth consecutive season without post season play. This is a franchise that qualified for the playoffs in their first thirteen years in the NHL, reaching six Stanley Cup Finals and coming away with five Championship banners that proudly hang from the rafters at Rexall Place. Since then the hockey gods have not been kind. Over the past eighteen years, Edmonton has managed to play meaningful games beyond early April on only seven occasions...a stat that doesn't sit well with this organization or their legions of supporters. However, in the eyes of most experts this club is headed in the right direction. With that being the case, the Oilers have a tough decision on the horizon. At the end of this season, the contract of head coach Tom Renney expires and this organization will have to decide what their next move will be. Do they resign the man that was brought in to primarily help mold Edmonton's many young prospects or do they part ways and look to someone else to lead this team back to  prominence? The answer may seem obvious to many but it may not be as clear as some think.