Gene Principe

There isn't a whole lot of camping going on these days in Edmonton. Even with above zero temperatures it's not the right time of year to brave the conditions unless you're the Oilers and you do it indoors in the form of a mini-camp.

"It was a good set of four days" said Sam Gagner "and it gives us a chance to try and all get on the same page and understand the systems that we are going to play". The mini camp was done as a way of trying to shake the Oilers out of the doldrums. The team has only one win in the last 12 games.

"At some point you want to see how the work pays off and that's what we get a chance to see tonight in our first game since the camp," said Dustin Penner. It comes against Nashville and the work Penner speaks of came mostly in the two days of the mini-camp of Friday and Saturday.

The Oilers had two on-ice sessions both of those days. Along with what they did on the blades, they did work in the video room and also had fitness sessions. All of it done in place of what was to be a planned outing to Palm Springs and a few days of R and R with sponsors and the team owner but instead they passed on their golf game and worked on the game of hockey.

"It can only help us really," said Andrew Cogliano. "We needed to get together and spend as much as time as we did over the last few days. It may not turn around overnight but this is something that should help us get better."

The Oilers can only hope the mini-camp has an immediate impact. First off because they face a Predators team that has won six of their last seven at Rexall Place and also because the 29th place Oilers are in danger of being caught by the 30th place team in Carolina. The Hurricanes are four points back. They have 33 the Oilers 37.

A lineup note revolving around Gilbert Brule who has a goal and two assists so far this season versus the Predators. He missed the morning skate because of the flu. It's the fourth time he's had it this season and he will undergo further testing to see why this keeps happening. Brule, who is second on the team in goals with 11, will be a game time decision.