It may be April Fool's but Craig MacTavish wasn't joking Wednesday when he discussed his job as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

"There hasn't been one point that I have ever been afraid of losing my job. Criticism comes as part of the business."

MacTavish has been getting enough of that lately. There was a fifth loss in the last six games Tuesday night to Anaheim. Punctuating the defeat was his illegal stick call on Teemu Selanne that backfired late in the game. The stick was ruled legal and Anaheim added an empty net goal, winning 5-3. Add it all up and Edmonton is now sitting 11th in the Western Conference, three points out of a playoff spot which has left fans of the Copper and Blue in an unruly mood.

"I've had great support here and I have been here for nine years" said the coach who was hired June 22, 2000. "If I have less support now then that's just a hazard of the profession. Whether it's criticism or praise you have to shelve it and turn your team around."

MacTavish's crowning moment came in the 2006 playoffs when he led the Oilers to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final. He is the second winningest coach in Oilers history and is one victory away from 300. But if Edmonton misses the post-season that would be three years in a row that the Oilers haven't competed in playoff hockey.

"You have a fixed amount of time to deliver the goods. I'm not forecasting anything but you are evaluated on how many games you win. We should be in a better position."

The coach has another chance to do that for him and his team on Thursday night when they host the San Jose Sharks.