Oilers forward Ryan Smyth opened scoring Thursday against the Minnesota Wild Thursday at Rexall Place but the visiting team came back with three unanswered goals to take the win. (Perry Nelson/QMI Agency)
The Edmonton Oilers, no matter how many bright young stars they add, are still at the bottom of the West while the Minnesota Wild, after spending $196 million on a pair of prized free agents, still seem on a one-team crusade to make hockey unwatchable.
Both teams put their worst foot forward Thursday with the Oilers losing yet another must-win game to take another step closer to the edge of the 2013 cliff, and the Wild still making people want to put their eyes out with their ticket stubs.
In the end, the new look Wild looked a lot like the old look Wild - better than the Oilers. They beat them 3-1 for their 11th win in the last 13 meetings.
The Oilers are now 1-3 through four games of a five-game homestand that precedes a nine-game, 17-day road trip that will surely define their season. They were hoping to at least be in a playoff spot when they hit the road, but that’s not going to happen.
