It's a Festivus Miracle!

So Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and one of the Molina Staal brothers are in town tonight. Apparently I'm supposed to be abuzz about this. Yawn. Good players, sure. But have any of them ever soothed an enraged cobra back into its basket with a lullaby version of "Love is a Battlefield?" Doubt it. Any of them ever pokecheck an opponent in overtime of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals, and then score the short-handed winner over the goalie's glove hand while their eyes were closed and one of their hands were tied behind their back with cable wire? Nope. Well I'm aware of someone who has done these things, and he's playing his first game in front of a home crowd tonight after horse collaring ulcerative colitis to the ground and spitting in its eye. Oh, and that home crowd is composed of citizens from his actual hometown, so forgive me if I remain unimpressed about a bunch of Boys-on-the-Bus-wannabes-who-light-it-up-against-the-Islanders-Capitals-Thrashers-and-the-rest-of-the-National-League-but-are-still-only-playing-.500-hockey strolling into town. Get in line, kids. Tonight, it's all about San Fernando Pisani, the Patron Saint of Lost Hockey Causes.

Alright, I'm (mostly) kidding. I'm as excited to see Crosby and Malkin as the next guy. But I am more excited to see San Fernando take the ice at Rexall tonight, even though it will probably make me choke up (Pisani doesn't like cry-babies). I'm also excited to see Le GG lumbering around the ice for five minutes. I'm even kind of hoping he beats up The L Column right in front of the Oilers bench, and then points at MacT and mouths the words "I'm Le Best" to him. That would make me smile. Also making me smile? An Oilers victory, which would keep us three points ahead of the Flames, move us in front of the Ducks (who will help us by losing to the Sabres tonight), and put us even closer to the final playoff spot (and 1st in the Northwest).

Other Notes

• Oilers fans living in Calgary should know that The Loil will be gathering at Flames Central tonight to watch the game. All are welcome.

• Apparently there are "blogspots" dedicated to Sidney Crosby. 95-year old men not yet acquainted with the internet writing for Canadian Press, too.

• Anyone unconvinced that Alberta truly is the land of milk and honey should read this article on a proposed health club for Calgary. Any time you refer to something as a "Dubai type of project," you know you have way more money than is necessary. I just like the fact that Dolemo Developments made this announcement right at the beginning of December. What better time than a freezing day a few weeks before Christmas to announce that you're going to build a private club with a car wash inside of it? Jesus would be so proud. Oh, and note the price tag on that facility with the restaurants, hotel and hockey arena inside of it. $1 billion.

• I've lately become obsessed with the game-by-game player logs at Behind The Net. The logs show a player's most common opponents and linemates per game, quality of opponents and linemates, as well as on/off-ice team stats for each game. Here's a small sampling: Shawn Horcoff, Dustin Penner, Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Tom Gilbert, and Zach Stortini.

• I've also been staring at the salary and cap overview for the Oilers at NHL Numbers. Counting 15 players (Penner, Hemsky, Horcoff, Pisani, Torres, Moreau, Gagner, Cogliano, Brodziak, Souray, Staios, Greene, Smid, Roloson, Garon), the Oilers have $36.758 of cap space already committed for next season. The RFA's for 08/09 include Stoll, Nilsson, Thoresen, Pitkanen, Grebeshkov and Gilbert. My own view is that signing Gilbert and Pitkanen should be the top priorities. But what will they cost? How much cap space will be left over? And I've said it a million times, but how about that Souray contract? You know who I blame? Daryl Katz. If he hadn't forced the Oilers into a panicked, idiotic PR move by putting forward a reasonable offer for ownership and a commitment to spend to the cap this summer, we wouldn't be stuck with that albatross of a contract (and pylon of a player). But nooo, he had to go and make the EIG try and save face by negotiating with a guy no one else in the league was willing to sign. Good job, Daryl. Glad to see you hate Edmonton.

Other Takes on the Game
• Black Dog Hates Skunks
• mc79hockey
• Pensblog
• Covered in Oil

Prediction: Instead of Le GG, Gary Roberts actually beats up The L Column. But it doesn't matter. 5-2, Oilers. Pisani (x3), Pitkanen, and Penner (off his ear, then his knee, nothing but net). GOILERS!!!