Update: The Oilers' hunt for a playoff spot took a dramatic turn for the worse Sunday, as the Wild tamed Edmonton with a 3-2 road win at Rexall, while costing the home team one its 2009 success stories, Laddy Smid.

The Oilers defenceman suffered a fractured left hand the result of a hit along the boards.

With five games remaining, the defeat also knocked Edmonton out of a playoff spot and into 10th place in the Western Conference.

Edmonton needs two on Tuesday at home against Anaheim or they can all but count themselves out of the playoff race.

Maybe, just maybe, the drama gets jacked up one final notch, with the final Battle of Alberta installment of the 2008-09 campaign on the final date on the team's regular seaason calendar, determining the post-season fate of MacT's Little Softies.

Any nails left Oil fans?

– SP

With seven games left on the regular season schedule, the Edmonton Oilers' fate is, as they say, in their own hands.

Ales Hemsky and company play host to the visiting Minnesota Wild tonight at Rexall Place, hoping to carry over some momentum from Friday's massive 5-3 road victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

The Oilers head into tonight's tilt deadlocked with three other squads, for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

It will be interesting to see how much gas Oilers' netminder Dwayne Roloson has left in his tank, less than 48 hours after facing a truck-load of rubber (54 shots) against the Ducks.

Head coach Craig MacTavish is expected to go with similar lines to those used against Anaheim. Regardless, Edmonton desperately needs its veterans to bring some grit down the stretch, if they hope to keep pace with the rest of their playoff challengers. If Edmonton continues to refuse to go into the corners and play an intimidating brand of "balls-out hockey", they'll be playing with fire.

Leaning on Roli every game is tempting fate in itself!

The Oil will be score-board watching tonight, as Anaheim hosts Colorado, St. Louis visits Columbus and Nashville visits Hockeytown.