Oilers, Flames meet for bragging rights (Mar 30, 2018)
CALGARY, Alberta -- Although both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have been eliminated from playoff contention, bragging rights will still be on the line when the two teams face off against each other on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
After the Oilers (34-38-6) won the first three games of the season series this season, the Flames (35-33-10) skated to a 1-0 victory over their provincial rivals in Calgary on March 13.
"It's always fun," said Oilers goalie Cam Talbot in regards to the Battle of Alberta. "The rivalry brings a different element every time. You know it's going to be an intense game out there and not a whole lot of space (as) you can see from the previous matchups this year.
"Neither one of us are where we want to be in the standings. It brings a different element and just that intense matchup every night."
While the Oilers have lost three straight games, the Flames have dropped seven straight decisions since blanking their northern counterparts 17 days earlier.
"There's pride on the line, and especially this next game against the Oilers," Flames forward Curtis Lazar told the Calgary Herald. "You never want to lose to our provincial rivals, so that's an easy game to get up for.
"I think if we can just get back to playing a simple, solid and effective 60 minutes, that will do wonders for our hockey club. The bottom line is we're banged up and the mood is not where it should be, and rightfully so just because we're out of it, but you have to find a way to salvage something."
After Edmonton dropped a 2-1 decision in Vancouver to the Canucks on Thursday, forward Leon Draisaitl told reporters that the Oilers have to "just focus on the next game and come out with the same intensity."
Prior to their three-game skid that started last Sunday with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks at home, the Oilers had won three straight games and four of five.
"For the most chunk of our games lately have been really good," Draisaitl said. "We had a few where we weren't as sharp. Even (against the Canucks), I thought we could have won that game. We competed and battled really hard."
Although his team has lost seven in a row, Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan didn't think his team played that badly up until Thursday's 5-1 setback to the Columbus Blue Jackets on home ice.
"There's six of those games where I thought we worked our tails off," Gulutzan said. "Our effort's been there. (Thursday) was the first dip that I saw in our group as far as I didn't think we were quite ready in the first 10 minutes to go. We got going after that, but too little, too late. We're decimated (due to injuries to forwards Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk and defensemen TJ Brodie and Travis Hamonic) with some skill here and that's hard on the guys."
The Flames may get leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau back in the lineup against the Oilers
"We're not expecting it, but there's a chance," said Gulutzan in regards to Gaudreau, who was heading back to Calgary on Friday from New Jersey where his father, Guy Gaudreau, is recovering after suffering a cardiac event last Sunday. "First things first with what's going on there. Their family went through something real significant and it looks like they're going to come out hopefully better on the other side. We just wanted to make sure he's good there first."
