5 Things - Flames vs. Oilers

The Battle of Alberta lands at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time this season (8:00 p.m. MT/CBC/Sportsnet)

January 20, 2024

Saturday night.

Home ice.

Two teams trending in the right direction.

This season’s second instalment of the Battle of Alberta is appointment viewing, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Get tickets

The Flames are winners of seven of their last 10, while the Oilers have willed their way into third place in the Pacific Division thanks to a franchise-record 12-win streak.

There’s no question the hosts will be looking for a bounce back, too, after a 4-3 setback to the Maple Leafs Thursday that saw Calgary’s four-game winning streak draw to a close.

"I think we’re playing a similar team on Saturday, so I think we’ve got to learn from tonight,” Flames captain Mikael Backlund said post-game. “(We) know that the second period, the way we played, turning too many pucks over is going to cost us."

The Flames recalled Matt Coronato Saturday morning. Click to read

"I definitely want to take advantage of it"

A lot’s been said about the offence over the past 10 games, goal-scoring runs by the likes of Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman are (deservedly) earning headlines, while Nazem Kadri is arguably playing his best, and most aggressive hockey of the season.

But quietly, the team has been going about its work defensively as well.

Yes, goaltenders Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar have performed admirably (Markstrom was running with a .936 save percentage over his last 10 starts before being sidelined earlier this week), but Calgary also truly has a shutdown forward line in the trio of Andrew Mangiapane, Backlund and Blake Coleman (the latter leads all NHL forwards with a +24 rating this season).

The Flames had a dress rehearsal Thursday in facing a game-breaker in the form of Auston Matthews; tonight, on the national stage, they’ll be tasked with shutting down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.That dress rehearsal, according to head coach Ryan Huska, was a teachable moment.

“A lot of times when we get into trouble 5-on-5 is because of stupid plays in the neutral zone,” the Flames bench boss commented Thursday night. “So when you’ve got a player like that on the ice (in Matthews), you need to take care of the puck.”

“So same thing we’re gonna see here (Saturday).”

Brendan Parker sets up tonight's Battle of Alberta

Go inside the glass as the Flames get ready for the Battle of Alberta. Photos by Ty Pilson

As mentioned, the Oilers come into Saturday’s showdown on a 12-game winning streak, extended most recently on Thursday night thanks to a 4-2 comeback win over the Kraken at Rogers Place.

Draisaitl led the way for the hosts with four points, while Warren Foegele scored twice, including the eventual game-winner 7:38 into the second period.

Kris Knoblauch has guided Edmonton to a 22-6-0 record since being installed as head coach Nov. 12, but tonight’s Battle of Alberta will be his first, so to speak, since he was a forward with the WHL’s Edmonton Ice back in the late 1990s.

“This will be new to me,” Knoblauch told reporters Friday, “but you know, living in Alberta, knowing the competition, the rivalry between these two teams, they’ll be motivated.

“They’re always motivated to be Edmonton Oilers, but now with our streak, and them chasing us in the playoffs, there’ll probably be more animosity, or more of a rivalry, and it’ll be great.”

It’s been over a month since the Oilers last lost on the road, a 3-1 setback Dec. 19 against the Islanders, and since that time, the duo of McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 35 points.

By virtue of their win Thursday, Edmonton leap-frogged Los Angeles to move into third spot in the Pacific Division, all the more impressive given the team’s 2-9-1 start to the regular season.

2023-24 Season Series:

Tonight marks the second of four meetings this season between Calgary and Edmonton, with the Oilers holding a 1-0 advantage in the season series to date.

Edmonton claimed a 5-2 win at Commonwealth Stadium in the Heritage Classic Oct. 29; A.J. Greer and Nazem Kadri lit the lamp for the Flames in the loss.

After tonight’s encounter, the two sides will meet again in Edmonton Feb. 24 and at the ‘Dome Apr. 6.

Did You Know?

Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich is up to 19 goals on the season, which (as of the start of play Friday) gives him a two-goal cushion over all NHL players to have switched teams this past summer.

Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville) and Alex DeBrincat (Detroit) sit tied for second, both with 17 tallies apiece.

It’s no secret, the Flames have been finding ways to score in 2024.

In fact, in the nine games Calgary has contested in this calendar year, the team is averaging a shade under four goals per game, and their 35 goals this year are - as of puck drop Friday - tied for the second-most among NHL clubs (the Avalanche have scored 37 goals over that span).

The Flames’ powerplay is also cooking at a 23.1% clip since Jan. 1.

Flames - Jonathan Huberdeau

After missing Tuesday’s overtime win over the Coyotes with an illness, Huby was buzzing in his return to the lineup Thursday against the Leafs.

He put up a pair of assists in the first period, and was distributing the puck with ease to his linemates all night long.

Over his past five games, Huberdeau has collected seven helpers, and he now sits seven points shy of 700 for his NHL career.

"It’s a big game ... it's a big matchup"

Oilers - Zach Hyman

Hyman is coming off a two-point performance (1G, 1A) Thursday against Seattle, giving him 27 goals and 44 points on the season.

He leads all Edmonton skaters with six goals since New Year’s Day, and over that time frame, he’s enjoyed four multi-point contests including a hat-trick Jan. 6 against Ottawa.

Now in his third season as an Oiler, Hyman is nine goals away from matching his career best of 36, set during the 2022-23 season.