Calgary Flames (0-0-0) @

Edmonton Oilers (0-0-0)

Rogers Place

04 October 2017 - 8 PM

TV: Sportsnet

Radio: 630 CHED

The Battle of Alberta kicks off our 2017-18 season. Let’s get it on.

EDMONTON

Patrick Maroon - Connor McDavid - Leon Draisaitl

Milan Lucic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Kailer Yamamoto

Drake Caggiula - Ryan Strome - Jussi Jokinen

Jujhar Khaira - Mark Letestu - Zack Kassian

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson

Kris Russell - Matt Benning

Darnell Nurse - Eric Gryba

Cam Talbot

Laurent Brossoit

CALGARY

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Michael Ferlund

Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik

Kris Versteeg - Sam Bennett - Troy Brouwer

Tanner Glass - Matt Stajan - Garnet Hathaway

Mark Giordano - Dougie Hamilton

T.J. Brodie - Travis Hamonic

Matt Bartkowski - Michael Stone

Mike Smith

Eddie Lack

FOR THE OILERS

• It’s game one, and Edmonton’s got two of their big eggs on one line. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are expected to bring the noise together on the top line.
• Kailer Yamamoto will get his feet wet on line two with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic. Can an impressive preseason spill over into the regular season?
• Cam Talbot’s long journey begins tonight. The Oilers are sticking with Laurent Brossoit to spell Talbot; here’s hoping Talbot can take about ten more games off this year than he did last year.
• The Oilers can do a damn good job of exploiting Calgary’s fourth line which consists of some interesting parts. Matt Stajan, Tanner Glass (!!) and Garnet Hathaway are going to have a time of it tonight if they’re up against Edmonton’s top line.

FOR CALGARY

• Edmonton will be tested by Calgary’s top four on defence. The Flames received a significant boost by acquiring Travis Hamonic this offseason. He’ll make his Flames debut tonight.
• Calgary will live and die by their goaltending this year, and tonight’s the first game in a Flames uniform for Mike Smith. Smith was brought over from Arizona after posting a .914 all-situations SV% in 2016-17.
• The Flames blew up the internet when they signed Jaromir Jagr on Monday. Calgary didn’t make it official until today, and Jagr will not be in the lineup.
• Questions surround the Oiler defence after Klefbom-Larsson. If the Flames can apply pressure to the Oilers’ second or third pair, it could spell trouble for Edmonton.