Rookies are like coins, they have two sides.  On one side they offer enthusiasm, energy and a fresh attitude while on the flip side exists inexperience, impatience and intimidation.  To some extent all rookies possess all of these characteristics early in their careers but so far the Oilers have been fortunate to see much more of the former than of the latter.

 

Marc-Andre Bergeron

 

The offensive-minded defenseman has played in four of the first five Oiler games and has come out of them with an assist and an impressive +3 rating.  He’s won over some of the more skeptic fans that were guilty of only seeing the 5’10” blueliner as a possible defensive liability rather than recognizing the tremendous upside he brings to the team.  More importantly, Bergeron has won the respect of his veteran teammates.

 

“Bergy’s been great for us,” complimented Shawn Horcoff.  “When he’s going, we’re a team that creates a lot more offense.”

 

The Oilers went 2-2 in the four games that Bergeron has played in.  Playing with Jason Smith has enabled the former Shawinigan standout to concentrate on his offensive talents more.

 

“He makes that first pass and that’s important in our offense,” Horcoff continued.  “Some fans don’t really know about that, but the players who play the game know just how important that is.  If you can make that first pass quick, a lot of times that buys a lot more time for our forwards and it gives us that extra second to try and create some offense.”

 

Bergeron was a healthy scratch for Saturday night’s tilt against powerhouse Colorado as Head Coach Craig MacTavish opted for the size of Alexei Semenov to battle the Avalanche forwards.

 

“I knew we were going to spend a lot of time in our own end and I wanted the big body,” MacTavish revealed afterwards.  “(Semenov) is a big strong guy on the back end and I thought that he really battled hard down low and he was really into it.  They’re a tough team to stop in the cycle and he’s big and strong enough to do it.”

 

Meanwhile, Bergeron took the press box move with his chin up and a professional attitude.

 

“For sure it’s always tough to watch from upstairs but I’m in the process right now,” Bergeron conceded.  “I’m a first year player and I understand my role.  I have to improve on the ice every time I can and I can’t take anything for granted.”

 

With the way Bergeron has played thus far, it should not be a lengthy absence from the starting roster.

 

Raffi Torres

 

Torres has slightly too many games under his belt to be considered a rookie by league standards, which is a shame because his four points would have him on top of the freshman scoring at this point of the season.

 

A two point game on opening night followed by another such performance last Thursday against Buffalo put Torres on top of team scoring heading into the Colorado game on the weekend.  However, because of an over abundance of whistle-blowing by the referees, the contest was in large part played by special teams and Torres’ ice time was very limited.

 

Torres began the year on the fourth line but has seen a quick surge up the depth chart to play along side Ryan Smyth and Ales Hemsky on the top line.  The quick promotion doesn’t come as a surprise to some.

 

“(Torres) obviously brings a lot of energy into our lineup and he’s come in and had success early and he’s got a lot of confidence right now,” Horcoff described. “That’s definitely what we need right now, guys that are feeling good, feeling confident and are putting the puck in the net.”

 

Torres has done more than just create points, he’s also made a physical impression too all the while averaging slightly less than 10 minutes per game of ice time.

 

Ty Conklin

 

Conklin made his first start in relief of Tommy Salo on Thursday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres.  Some monstrous saves early in the game helped shake away any butterflies or rust from the pads and Conklin went on to a first star performance victory.

 

“We got great goaltending out of Conks,” boasted MacTavish. “It’s a tough position and we wanted to get him in before he got out of the loop and see what type of goaltender we had and I think if that’s any indication, then we’ve got a good solid goaltender there.”

 

Conklin was obviously very pleased with the outcome of his first game this season.

 

“We played a solid game and I was able to see almost all of the shots and that makes a goalie’s job a lot easier,” said Conklin.  “Getting in there and making a couple of saves early was nice.  It kind of gets rid of the nerves.”

 

Many people noticed that Conklin has a terrific ability to handle the puck, one time even clearing the rubber himself while the team was shorthanded.  Surprisingly, Conklin was critical of his puck work after the game.

 

“In the first game, it’s tough to just get in there and handle the puck well and I didn’t think I handled it that particularly well tonight,” said Conklin.  “The guys covered for me on the times I made mistakes but those are the kinds of things that are going to take a while before I get really comfortable.”

 

Now with a perfect 3-0 record in Oiler games dating back to his two-game stint in 2001-02, Conklin knows that improving is a never-ending thing.

 

“Obviously (the NHL) is that next step and things are faster, guys are bigger, shoot harder, more accurate and everything happens just a little sharper,” said the goalie.  “There’s always learning to do.”

 

“Flaming” Hot:

 

Raffi Torres: Has been the best player for the Oilers over the first five games.  Even when the team was shut out two straight games, Torres was, as MacTavish put it, “the best of the worst”.

 

Ryan Smyth:  Three points against Colorado gives him the lead for team scoring.  Terrific feed to Marty Reasoner for the fifth goal.  New position seems to be a good fit for the veteran Oiler.

 

Steve Staios:  Quite possibly his best game as an Oiler came against Colorado.  His first two-goal game of his career, Staios was a dynamo.

 

Tommy Salo:  With exception of the one odd goal on opening night, Salo has been very solid and has silenced his critics thus far.

 

Ty Conklin:  In his one start, Conklin was nothing short of stellar.  He kept his team in the game early on and then barred the door once the Oilers got the lead.

 

“Flaming” Not:

 

Brad Isbister – For the second straight week Isbister makes this list.  Pointless after five games, he is the only Oiler forward to have that distinction.  Even Tommy Salo has more points.

 

Team Notes:

 

-          The only player still waiting to get into a game is rookie Jarret Stoll.  His first start could be as soon as Tuesday night when the Oilers host St. Louis, but with the team putting together two solid games in a row, MacTavish may not want to tinker with the roster.

-          Mike York, who leads the team in shots, finally was rewarded and scored his first on the year Saturday night.

-          MacTavish told media after last Thursday night’s game against Buffalo that Conklin would get into one of the next three games so expect him to play against either St. Louis or in Colorado this coming Thursday.

-          Colorado rookie Philippe Sauve took the loss for the Avalanche in his first NHL game.  Edmonton struggled early last season losing games to San Jose, St. Louis and Boston who all had goalies making their NHL debuts.

-          Edmonton now has three shorthanded goals and two empty net goals on the year.  Conversely, they’ve only managed to score twice with the man advantage.

-          Next up for the Oilers on Tuesday are the St. Louis Blues who will have rookie of the year candidate Peter Sejna in their line up.