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O Canada: Road-heavy schedule will soon test Oilers

Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty

Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."

Calgary Flames

Plus: Troy Brouwer has been the Flames' top forward early on, notching five points through seven games. The club's biggest offseason addition is steadily proving his worth in Calgary's top six.

Minus: Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau have three points apiece - less than Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund, and the same amount as Dennis Wideman, Matt Stajan, and Micheal Ferland. It's early, very early. But the Flames' most talented - and richest - forwards will need to rediscover the magic that propelled the offense a season ago in order to contend.

The Take: It looks like Calgary is still working out the kinks of a new system under Glen Gulutzan. They aren't scoring at the same rate, while special teams and shoddy goaltending have hindered the team early on. It can be fixed, but with five of their next seven games on the road, it's time to start registering some wins.

Edmonton Oilers

Plus: The Oilers enjoyed a fine week, winning three in a row - including an impressive victory at the Heritage Classic - after laying an egg during a 6-2 loss to Buffalo on home ice. Good thing they didn't take the day off.

Minus: Edmonton's still allowing a ton of shots - 33.2 per game, in fact. At least Cam Talbot's numbers are on the mend.

The Take: The Edmonton Oilers are in first place. What a world. Connor McDavid continues to rack up points, while the rest of the offense has contributed nicely. A five-game Eastern road trip is on the horizon, which should provide a clearer barometer of where the club truly ranks.

Montreal Canadiens

Plus: Carey Price, Shea Weber, Alexander Radulov, and Max Pacioretty, to name a few. Things are good at the moment for the league-leading Canadiens, who have yet to lose in regulation.

Minus: Radulov referring to goosebumps as "the tickles."

The Take: Life ain't so bad without P.K. Subban so far, eh? Montreal looks as deep as ever, and the entire offense is producing. The Canadiens sit atop the league with 3.83 goals per game, and, with Price back in goal, the Habs are scary.

Ottawa Senators

Plus: Erik Karlsson has seven points, on pace for another blistering offensive campaign.

Minus: Goaltending. Craig Anderson's 3.66 goals-against average and .866 save percentage has somehow yielded a 3-1 record, which doesn't seem sustainable.

The Take: The Guy Boucher era isn't off to a hot start. The Senators are 3-2, but it's the same old story. Ottawa ranks sixth in goals for (3.4 per game), yet sits tied for second-last in goals against (four per game).

Toronto Maple Leafs

Plus: Goals are fun, and the Maple Leafs are good at scoring them. Toronto has a legitimate offense, led by Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who have eight and seven points, respectively.

Minus: Four losses, four third-period implosions. Toronto blowing leads is the one thing this new era of Leafs can't seem to erase. At least they've salvaged a point in three of them.

The Take: While the fashion in which they lose can be frustrating, Mike Babcock is content with the on-ice product. Learning to win comes with time, which, fortunately for the Maple Leafs, is on their side.

Vancouver Canucks

Plus: An early record of 4-1-1 sure looks nice. Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom have looked more than reliable in goal thus far.

Minus: The luck of it all will catch up to them. The Canucks erased third-period deficits in three of their first four games, and capitalized on a fairly weak portion of their schedule.

The Take: Producing four wins with a plus-1 goal differential is a bit of an anomaly. The Canucks are barely averaging two goals per game, and a full season of elite goaltending might be the club's best, if not only, hope.

Winnipeg Jets

Plus: Patrik Laine's shot. The kid is proving his offensive prowess, while he, along with linemates Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, lead the club in scoring through five games.

Minus: Getting shut out in those glorious throwback uniforms. Perhaps more importantly, neither Connor Hellebuyck or Michael Hutchinson appear to want the starting job. Both have registered only one win, and boast sub-.900 save percentages. One of them will need to take a step in the right direction soon.

The Take: At times, the Jets look dangerous, but they're in need of more balance. Beyond the aforementioned top line, Shawn Matthias is the next forward on the scoring list with only two points. If the goaltending is quickly rectified, the Jets should soar up the standings.

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