Oilers Trying to Avoid Repeat Performance and Buck Concerning Trend vs Maple Leafs

The last time the Edmonton Oilers played the Toronto Maple Leafs, something concerning happened. The Oilers were on a run, winning games and picking up points. They hadn't played terribly well in the two games before the matchup against Toronto, but they'd still earned points in the standings. 

The Maple Leafs then handed the Oilers a 7-2 drubbing. 

On Saturday, the Oilers will meet the Maple Leafs again, this time in Toronto. After two subpar performances against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, a similarly troubling pattern has emerged in how the Oilers have played of late. 

Could another definitively loss be coming?

“The record is probably a little nicer than reality for us," head coach Mike Babcock said on Friday as he met with the media. He's aware that, at times, the Oilers have let their focus slip. "The last two nights, our goaltending has been better than I'd like it to be. I don't to say it like that..."Babcock said, "Way better than we wanted to have to be. ... Is that a better way to say it?"

Toronto is also motivated. 3-7-0 in their last 10 games, they've lost five straight. It's a Saturday night, and there's reason to get up for this game- something the Oilers didn't do the last time these two teams played. 

On October 24, after the ugly loss, Babcock said, "For me to get all wound up here... I already stood there... in your own building on Saturday night; that should be automatic. Should never get outworked." The Oilers did. It wasn't pretty. 

"The bottom line is they were better. They were better than us. So we can blame anybody we want... Jim Hiller had a group playing harder, and I had my group... That's on me. "

Does Babcock have his group better prepared for tonight's rematch? The Oilers are 14-3-3 and should win this game on paper. But the standings don't mean a lot if one team shows up to play and the other doesn't. The Oilers already know the ending to that story. 

Edmonton should have the sour taste of a 7-2 loss on their tongues. It should be enough to avoid a repeat performance, and even if the games leading up to their meeting with Toronto hint that a familiar trend has been emerging, the Oilers should be able to buckle down and right the ship. 

The Oilers have been lucky to pick up wins. Their goaltending has been keeping them in their recent games. That said, they haven't played well enough to take this rematch for granted. 

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