On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being excellent, where are the Canadiens right now?

Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

I’d give them an 8 after getting off to a 6-3 start, which had them sitting in first place in the Atlantic Division following Thursday night’s 6-5 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton.

Some very questionable officiating by referees Garrett Rank and Chris Schlenker — especially on the same day as a big NBA gambling scandal — definitely helped the Oilers, who scored two power-play goals in the third period to tie the game 5-5. The Oilers had five power plays during the game, while the Canadiens had only one.

After the game, the Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher said the referees admitted to him they made a mistake when they called Juraj Slafkovsky for boarding early in the third period. T

See Full Page