Edmonton Oilers (15-12-2) (5th, Pacific)
Calgary Flames (19-9-2) (1st, Central)
7:00 PM MST
Rogers Place
TV: Sportsnet, Sportsnet One
Radio: 630 CHE
SB Nation Opponent: Matchsticks and Gasoline
IT’S GO TIME
The Oilers scored seven goals (!!!!) in their 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. I don’t know how many more times I’m going to write about that ever happening, so let me relish it for a second. Seven. Goals. Connor McDavid had a four point night (1-3-4), Leon Draisaitl had two goals, even Jujhar Khaira had a pair of assists. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored. Alex Chiasson scored. Zack Kassian scored. Yeah.
It’s the Battle of Alberta tonight. The Flames are riding high atop the Pacific Division. A win tonight will get the Oilers into a wild-card slot. What’s going to happen tonight?
Let’s go to the tape.
The Oilers are saying
To be honest with you the one-goal games don’t make you nervous, because you know if you’re playing the right way you’re going to be getting points at the end. I was a little bit nervous on the bench yesterday for the first time because you get a lead and you’re hopeful that you can continue to play the right way and not get too loose and let them come back, so it was the first time I’ve been a little bit nervous wondering how we were going to respond.
That’s Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock on Friday’s game against Minnesota
The Oilers scored seven goals in a romp. For a reference point, they scored sixteen goals total in Hitchcock’s eight games prior to Minnesota. Could use seven more tonight.
The Flames are saying
”It was a real good night...I thought the guys settled in. We had a little uncertainty in our game early, but we got better in the second and got even better as the game went along in the third. … Those (young) guys coming up, they know how to play. They play the same play we play down in Stockton, so when guys come up here, they execute.”
That’s Flames head coach Bill Peters on his team’s 5-2 victory over Nashville last night.
The Flames are now atop the Western Conference with 40 points.
HAVE SOME OF THISl
- Look, the Flames are killing it right now, but the Oilers aren’t going to get a better chance to gain some ground. The Flames are on the tail end of a back-to-back away from their pond, and Mark Giordano is on suspension. A team with only one scoring line and a bunch of other guys can build an identity tonight with a win against their provincial rivals.
- Valentin Zykov had eleven minutes and forty-one seconds of ice time on Friday. I’ve got a feeling that he’ll be getting some top six time sooner than later.
- NET GAINS: Even though Cam Talbot has been victorious in his last two outings, the Oilers are going with Mikko Koskinen (8-3-1, .925 SV% / 2.23 GAA / 2 SO) between the pipes. The Flames will ride with David Rittch (9-2-1, .919 SV% / 2.39 GAA / 1 SO)
- SICK BAY: Andrej Sekera (ankle), Drake Caggiula (hand) and Tobias Rieder (face) are out for the Oilers. Mark Giordano (suspension), Mikael Backlund (concussion) and Jusso Valimaki (lower body) are out for the Flames. Michael Frolik (lower body) is day-to-day.