GAME PREVIEW: Game 19/56 Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames

Edmonton Oilers (10-8-0, 3rd in North) vs.

Calgary Flames (8-7-1, 5th in North)

19 February 2021

Scotiabank Saddledome

7 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet 1, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Oilers

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Matchsticks and Gasoline

FIRED UP

Edmonton heads to Calgary after splitting a two game series with the Winnipeg Jets. Wednesday saw the Oilers pick up a pair of goals from Leon Draisaitl (including one on the power play), while Jesse Puljujärvi got the party started early on with a dish from Connor McDavid. Speaking of McDavid, he scored his 500th and 501st career point in Edmonton’s 3-2 win, while Mike Smith picked up his third win of the season in net.

Edmonton will face the Flames tonight in the first game of a home-and-home series. Can the Oilers inch closer to the top with two more points tonight?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

“It’s a little milestone, I guess, a little thing along the way here, which is nice...To see and feel some of the reaction from my teammates and friends and family and stuff like that, it’s always special, so I really appreciate the support.”

Source

That’s Oilers captain Connor McDavid after scoring his 500th (and 501st) point in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

McDavid isn’t going to take a victory lap for a personal achievement, even though putting up 500 points by age 24 is a pretty good one. McDavid’s 32 points currently lead the Oilers, he will need 68 points in the next 37 games to make 100 on the abbreviated year.

THE FLAMES ARE SAYING

“I really thought that if we can get through the period at that score or better, we’re gonna have a good night, but the next shift after we scored one, they got it back and got another one...Tough to swallow those goals at the end there.

Source

That’s Flames captain Mark Giordano after his club’s 5-1 loss to the Canucks on Wednesday.

The Flames split their four game series with the Canucks, who have looked alive after a woeful start to the season. The Flames will no doubt be looking to avenge Wednesday’s blowout after yielding five goals to five different Vancouver Canucks, including two quick ones in thirty seconds at the end of the second period.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• Jesse Puljujärvi has arrived. I will not hear otherwise. Since Jordan Eberle has been traded, the Oilers have struggled to find someone not named Leon Draisaitl to play alongside the best player in the world. That search appears to be over. His name is Jesse Puljujärvi, and it took him about half a dozen games to figure it out. Here he is scoring the goal on an assist from Connor McDavid, which was McDavid’s 500th career point. Now staple him there for the next five years, and reassess in 2026.
• Days since Caleb Jones has been in the lineup: 19. It’s almost been that many for Ethan Bear who has been out with an injury for over two weeks. Caleb Jones has been a healthy scratch since forever and I’d really like to see him in the lineup for Kris Russell today.
• Kyle Turris appears to be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Gaetan Haas is back in the lineup tonight with James Neal and Alex Chiasson
• GOALS! Good news, everyone. The Oilers are scoring goals, and it’s wonderful. They’re currently fourth in the league overall in scoring at 3.5 goals per game. That’s more than the Canadiens, and it’s right there with Toronto. Problem is? They can’t keep them out of their net right now, there are only five teams that score more than 3.33 per game. The good news there is that the Canucks (3.6 GA/G) and Senators (4.11 GA/G) also cannot stop a beach ball right now, and that works in your favour when both of those teams are in your division.
• NET GAINS: Mike Smith bounced back from an ugly performance on Monday night against the Jets. Smith (3-0-0, .938 SV% / 2.07 GAA / 1 SO) and Mikko Koskinen (6-8-0, .894 SV% / 3.43 GAA) will likely split tonight and tomorrow’s games, while Jacob Markstrom (8-5-1, 918 SV% / 2.61 GAA) and David Rittich (0-2-0, .866 SV% / 3.22 GAA) are likely to do the same.
• SCRATCHES. Derek Ryan (finger) is day-to-day for the Flames. Edmonton is without Zack Kassian (hand), William Lagesson is day-to-day with an upper body injury.