From the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson:

While the Edmonton Oilers look better in losing this October, optics aren’t as important as statistics.

It’s nice to say there’s no shame in losing close to St. Louis (twice) and Nashville (shutout) in the first four games — two teams that scaled the 100-point plateau last year — we’re back to the same, tired moral victory storyline.

Four games, four losses with the other one to a weaker Dallas team, where they showed up in name only.

Last time we looked, the Blues and the Predators were part of the same league as the Oilers. The Oilers can’t petition the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to have them play in some higher league. There isn’t one, unless you’re talking the National Heavenly League where the dearly departed Jean Beliveau and Rocket Richard and Terry Sawchuk might be playing for their new teams.

Continued