McLellan: 1st-place Oilers have 'bought in'

How 'bout those Edmonton Oilers?

After their second road win in as many nights over a Pacific Division competitor - 4-1 over the San Jose Sharks - the Oilers sit in a tie for first place with 64 points at the All-Star break. This is not a drill.

The victory gives Edmonton a 7-0-1 record over their past eight games, and a win over San Jose - a team they've beat just four times in regulation over their last 32 attempts - shows a changing of the guard for a franchise finally on an upswing.

"I think it's a feather in the cap of the players," head coach Todd McLellan said upon notching first place, according to Eric Gilmore of NHL.com. "They bought into a system, they bought into each other, they care about each other. To scratch and claw and win on the road in theses last two games in very tough buildings is something we should be proud of and we should be confident with, but it's only the All-Star break."

McLellan's right, it is only the All-Star break, but the Oilers snapping their 10-season playoff drought looks like all but a formality at this point. Edmonton is 11 points clear of its wild-card chasers 51 games in, and as their past two games have shown, the Oilers are very well competitive with the best the Pacific has to offer.