SAN JOSE — In Edmonton, the head-to-head showdown between the Sharks and the Oilers on Thursday night is being billed as “the biggest regular-season game in a decade.”
For the Sharks, it’s just the biggest game until the next one.
No one can blame the Oilers, their fans or local media for seeing this as a huge game. The team hasn’t played a postseason game since Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, and a win over the Sharks would almost guarantee Edmonton home-ice advantage in a likely rematch in the playoffs next week.
Nevertheless, the Sharks, who clinched a playoff spot for the 11th time in 12 years last week, see the Edmonton media’s characterization of the game as overblown.