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PRESEASON GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames

Last one before they all count.

By Jeff Chapman
Edmonton Oilers 2019-2020 Headshots
Mikko Koskinen, take us to the promised land.
Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

Edmonton Oilers @

Calgary Flames

28 September 2019

7 PM MST

TV: Streaming Only

Radio: 630 CHED

Scotiabank Saddledome

SB Nation Opponent: Matchsticks and Gasoline

The Oilers are in Calgary tonight for their final tune-up before the regular season begins. Plenty of players who are on the bubble are in the lineup tonight, can they impress enough to survive the final cut?

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

Smitty’s been pretty solid in the two games he’s played here, so I like where his game is at. His puck-handling is just a good part of his game that our group’s going to have to adjust to.

Source

That’s Oilers head coach Dave Tippett on goaltender Mike Smith and how he handles the puck.

I’m interested if Tippett’s previous relationship with Mike Smith works as currency leading to more stars for the former Coyote

The Flames are saying

I think our last home game, we went with an older, veteran lineup and I thought we played more to our identity...I’d like to play to our identity. I’d like to get Chucky’s minutes up. I think that’ll be important. So we have to factor in all those things. So it won’t be like a regular pre-season game where everyone just rolls four lines and plays 15 minutes. If I get Chucky a little higher than that’ll be beneficial for him and beneficial for us moving forward

Source

That’s Flames head coach Bill Peters on getting Matthew Tkachuk’s minutes up a bit. Tkachuk signed a three year contract this week after missing a significant chunk of camp. Heads up, everyone.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

  • The Oilers have released Anton Burdasov from his PTO. Big dude with a big shot, he might have made the roster had he a full camp. In other words, Calgary’s phones are probably heating up right now
  • Mikko Koskinen will get the nod in goal tonight for the Oilers, while David Rittich is scheduled to start for the Flames. Old friend Cam Talbot may play part of the game for the Flames.
  • Most of the Oilers’ heavy artillery will be out of the lineup tonight. There’s no McDavid, there’s no Klefbom, and there’s no Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to be found tonight. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that Nugent-Hopkins has a sore leg, but will be ready for action by Wednesday’s home opener. You’ve got a Leon, though.
  • BUBBLIN’ UNDER: Who’s on the bubble? Brandon Manning and William Lagesson are in the ‘maybe’ category on defence. Not counting the injured Joel Persson, I’ve got Lagesson over Manning at this point.