Here we go again

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So here we go again… the start of another marathon called the NHL regular season. Who says the season doesn’t mean anything? Try telling that to the Oilers!  While the past season was high on the entertainment scale, it could hardly be classed as a “success”. Anything short of making the playoffs must be considered disappointing by local hockey fans. That’s how GM Kevin Lowe and Coach Craig MacTavish probably look at it. Count me into that category.  All this points to the importance of winning regular season games, even the “easy” ones against Tampa, Nashville and Anaheim. In fact, it’s always those “easy” ones that Oiler fans look back on every spring and bemoan the fact the Oilers didn’t always show up for those games. Those “easy” two points will be necessary this season to qualify for the post season… you can count on it.  Phoenix should be better… The Ducks should be better… Vancouver should be better… Dallas should be better… the whole West should also be better. This means the Oil can’t have a flat spot in their season like they did last January or February and still hope to make the fun part of the 2002-2003 NHL journey.  This is a solid hockey team and with just a little mental tweaking from Mac-T they’ll be in the thick of it. Ryan Smyth will have another solid year, so will sensational Tommy Salo, and you can also bank on Captain Jason Smith to lead the blue-liners. Should be a great year… should be. That’s what I’m looking for this year.  MESSAGE: Be ready to play every game, because if you don’t, you’ll be watching the playoffs from your leather couch again. Bummer.