You know what? That wasn’t a bad hockey game at all.

On a night that began with the Red Wings running the table against the home town heroes and racing out to a gentlemanly 4 nothing lead, the Copper and Blue managed to pull themselves right back to a tie game before a goal that was clearly a high stick was allowed with a little over a minute left and the Oilers were sent off the ice with a 5-4 loss.

This was actually one of the more entertaining Oilers games we have had the luxury of watching in some time and if the kids keep this up for the rest of the year we will be able to safely take our spot as unreasonable optimist for the entire offseason.

We suppose that a pair of goals from Gilbert might make a case for the long hairian one to be named first star but Deslauriers made several 5 alarm saves when the game seemed out of reach. 40 saves against the Wings only to lose on that goal? Come on.

Be still the beating hearts of tween Oilers fans from coast to coast! Tom Gilbert scored twice and was shown dripping with sweat wearing nothing but an Under Armour shirt on National Television! If that doesn’t get you second star, nothing will.

We don’t know how a call eminating from the Penalty Box in Detroit, bound for NHL Referee Central Command in Toronto, was intercepted by Mike Babcock – but this is clearly what must have happened. In an era with freeze frame HD technology following the puck for 60 minutes, there is simply no excuse for a blown call of this magnitude.

Call us a pessimist but we don’t think the Oilers are going to be able to make the playoffs this year as a result of that goal being allowed.

Still, good game though. Right?

Last place is a lock and an 18 year old boy is ALL OURS.