Tonight the Canucks will welcome David "Wilkes" Booth into their line-up when they face the almost warm Oilers in Edmonton. Booth will play on a line with recently-returned to action Ryan Kesler, and some other guy (who cares who it is when the line will have Booth and Kesler).

For some reason, the Oilers website is saying right now that Sam Gagner will miss the game due to an ankle injury, but I'm thinking that's a type-o. From what I understand, he'll play again on a line with Eric Belanger and Magnus Paajarvi. Let's hope Paajarvi gets a point or two tonight, so all the people who are musing about the Oilers needing to send him to the AHL will stop talking. While Magnus has no points, he's defensively sound and plays a great two-way game. It's fair to assume the Gags, Mags and Bags line will play shutdown minutes against the Sedin line tonight.

Ryan "Oh no, they're sending me back to Junior" Nugent-Hopkins will be center the H2E Line with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. Even though he loses plenty of face-offs, I hope the Oil give him opportunities at the dot. It's the only way he'll learn. If I'm Renney MacTavish, I'm giving the H2E Line 20+ minutes a night, because they're the only line that seems to know how to score.

The All-Ryan Line will have Ryan Smyth and Ryan Jones on the wings for Ryan Horcoff. And on defense every time they hit the ice? It will be Ryan Whitney and Ryan Gilbert. I suspect Ryan Dubnyk will also be in goal during those moments.

It's hard not to be excited about tonight's Oilers/Canucks game. The 'Nucks will be interesting, because Kesler is an Oiler-killer and their ability to have someone as good as Kesler on the second line with Booth and some other guy is ridiculous. Kesler would be the franchise center on any other team. Speaking of Oiler-killing, the Sedin twins do a pretty good job of that. I like a challenge, and feel the Oilers can absolutely win this game if they stick to their new defensive style, and if they give the kids enough ice time to score a goal or two. It's about time one of Anton Lander or Lennart Petrell chip in a goal. Everyone needs to work for their suppers on this Edmonton team if they stand a chance at making the playoffs.

Which brings me to this blog's final thought: The Western Conference; heck, the whole NHL is a pretty great place this season. Any team could be the in playoffs. Hey, I have no idea how the Avalanche and Stars are winning games right now, but they are. Who can say for sure they can't keep it up all season? I don't think Viagra is on the NHL's banned substance list yet.

My point is, we're gonna have playoff soup this Spring, and the young Oilers could absolutely join the fray. Aw, playoff hockey...How I've missed thee.

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