ST LOUIS - The Edmonton Oilers began the first day of the rest of their lives Thursday.
That they began it with a loss is tough for them to swallow, but it could have been, and usually is, worse.
Much, much worse.
But with a new GM and new coach pulling the strings and calling the shots, and new young superstar in their midst, the Oilers didn’t look anything like the nine versions of this team we’ve seen before in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
They competed much harder, limited the neutral zone turnovers and defensive breakdowns and matched a big and motivated Blues team that has owned them for years shift for shift.