It appears neither the Ottawa Senators nor the Edmonton Oilers are going to put an end to Canada's 25-season drought without a Stanley Cup this spring.

The Senators (25-43-6), who play Saturday afternoon at Edmonton, have a league-worst 56 points and have already been eliminated from postseason contention. The Oilers (33-34-7), despite a 4-1 victory Thursday against visiting Columbus, are five points back with eight games left in the race for the Western Conference's second and final wild-card berth, with four teams between them and the last spot.

"These are the biggest games of the year and all the excitement is here," Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who stopped 19 of 20 shots, told NHL.com. "As long as we have a (mathematical) chance, we're going to fight until the end."