"Right now the Edmonton Oilers are playing for a chance to pretend they're still alive.

That's it.

Put together a great road trip, take four or five points out of Toronto, Detroit and Ottawa, and when they return home they can pretend it's not too late to plunge their season out of the drainpipe.

It'll take about 8-2 in their next 10 before their situation moves from delusion to faint hope, and 16-4 to go from faint hope to half a chance, but that's looking too far ahead.

Right now, their ability to even fantasize about a playoff charge hinges on this three-game, eastern swing."