Saturday’s showdown at the Saddledome could mark the final edition of the Battle of Alberta during the 2021-22 campaign. But … could they? Will they? Is this the year, finally, that the Flames and Oilers meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs, their first spring series since 1991?
POINTS LEADERS
FLAMES
Johnny Gaudreau — 64 GP, 30 G, 55 A, 85 PTS +45
Matthew Tkachuk — 64 GP, 30 G, 48 A, 78 PTS, +38
Elias Lindholm — 64 GP, 32 G, 34 A, 66 PTS, +45
OILERS
Connor McDavid — 64 GP, 35 G, 60 A, 95 PTS +18
Leon Draisaitl — 65 GP, 44 G, 46 A, 90 PTS, +20
Zach Hyman — 59 GP, 21 G, 21 A, 42 PTS, -6
SPECIAL TEAMS
FLAMES: PP — 23.9% (8th) PK — 85.4% (3rd)
OILERS: PP — 25.4% (4th) PK — 76.1% (T-21st)
The home teams are so far 3-0 in the regular-season series, with the Oilers winning twice at Rogers Place and the Flames responding with a 3-1 victory earlier this month in Cowtown. The hosts blanked both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that night, a tough feat to repeat. McDavid has points in eight straight since then, while Draisaitl is on a seven-game spree.
When the Calgary Flames play host to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, it will be a meeting of two of the league's hottest clubs over the past two months.
The Pacific Division-leading Flames, who are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, have compiled a 21-5-2 record since losing a Jan. 22 game to the Oilers.
Starting with the Jan. 22 victory over the Flames, the Oilers have posted an 18-8-3 record that has brought them within two points of the second-place Los Angeles Kings, and nine behind Calgary.
"I'm new to the Battle of Alberta, but it seems not to matter what the standings are, whether one team is good or one team is bad," Oilers forward Zach Hyman said. "But this year, there are obviously two very good teams and it's going to be a great matchup. We're excited for it."
Head-to-head, Edmonton won the first two meetings of the season, but the Flames claimed a 3-1 victory earlier this month.
Oilers, Flames focused on finishing season on high note amid playoff push
The Calgary Flames, who have surfed atop the Pacific Division all season long, would take solace in the fact they’ve earned first place. They are the best team in Alberta through 82 games — have no doubt about that — but their reward could well be a wildcard opponent that is as good as or perhaps more dangerous than the Los Angeles Kings team that looks more and more like Edmonton’s Round 1 draw.
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Haven't been to a game in forever. Do the confessions and beer carts, etc. take debit now or will I need to stop at a bank machine for some cash? GFG!!
Pound these orange and blue clowns into the ice. Clinically of course. Like somebody said before, no emotional run and gun game. That plays into mcgoldenboy and his team’s sloppy score your problems away strategy. I don’t want to hear about the ‘elite’ oilers anymore. Knock them down a step tonight to lower morale, then leave them for the Avs and Preds.
EDMONTON OILERS AT CALGARY FLAMES 8pm TV: SN, CBC - RADIO SN960
