Oilers look to reverse home issues versus Flames (Jan 25, 2018)
With each team coming off disappointing losses, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames may be a little ornery Thursday night.
That's when the "Battle of Alberta" resumes as the Oilers host the Flames.
Edmonton (21-24-3) has taken the first two games of the season series. Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid recorded a hat trick in a season-opening 3-0 win Oct. 7 at home. On Dec. 2, Jesse Puljujarvi recorded his first career two-goal game and the Oilers survived four straight third-period tallies to leave Calgary with a 7-5 victory.
But Edmonton had perhaps its most disheartening setback this season, a 5-0 loss to the Eastern Conference-worst Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night that snapped a three-game winning streak.
The Oilers are 10-13-1 with five shutout losses at home this season. They were blanked once en route to a 25-12-4 mark in the club's inaugural season at Rogers Place.
"Why we're not performing at the level we need to at home has been a question we've asked all year. It wasn't that we just fell into this," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan said Wednesday. "We played one good game at the beginning of the year against Calgary and then after that we haven't performed at a steady level at home all year."
Talbot logged his only shutout of the season with a 27-save effort on opening night, but is 17-17-2 with a 3.15 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. He was lifted for the third time in seven starts Tuesday after surrendering four goals on 22 shots.
"You have to just let it go. That has to be our mindset right now. We can't let games like that linger," said Talbot, who is 6-2-0 with a 2.59 GAA and .915 save percentage versus Calgary since joining Edmonton in 2015.
It would not be a surprise if backup Al Montoya made his first start for Edmonton. The journeyman, acquired Jan. 4 from the Montreal Canadiens, has stopped 43 of 45 shots in three games. But Montoya is 1-2-1 with a 4.45 GAA and .856 SP in five career games (four starts) versus the Flames.
McDavid has four three-point games in his career versus the Flames, totaling eight goals and four assists. However, Edmonton's captain -- second on the club with 15 goals and one behind the injured Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- has scored only once since Dec. 23.
McDavid is not the only one struggling. Milan Lucic, a 23-goal scorer last season has only nine and none in his last 12 games. Pat Maroon has four goals in four games, but 13 on the season after posting a career-high 27 in 2016-17.
"This is a good hockey team, we have a good team in here," Maroon said. "We just have to find ways to come out of it and have fun again."
The Oilers could find that difficult against Calgary (25-16-7), which fell 2-1 in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Sean Monahan scored and Mike Smith made 25 saves for the Flames.
It was Calgary's third straight defeat past regulation after winning seven straight in regulation. Coach Glen Gulutzan's team has only three goals during the skid.
"I think we've done some good things offensively, just not getting rewarded right now," Smith said. "The good thing is we're still getting points in these games."
Calgary is looking for its fifth straight road win, and is 13-5-4 away from home. The biggest reason for that road success is Monahan. In 21 games, the Flames center has 13 goals, including five game-winners. Calgary is 7-1-0 when Monahan registers a point on the road.
Monahan, selected sixth overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, has three goals and four assists over 10 career games in Edmonton.
Smith (20-13-6, 2.39 GAA, .926 save percentage, two shutouts) has been in net for all three losses in the streak despite stopping 102 of 107 shots. Since winning six straight road starts against the Oilers between April 2013 and November 2016, Smith is 0-3-0 with a 3.64 GAA and .891 save percentage in his last four games (three starts) versus Edmonton.
But according to a tweet from the Flames after Thursday's loss, Smith said he will be headed to Tampa, Fla., for this weekend's All-Star festivities.
That development could open the door for rookie David Rittich to make his first appearance since beating the Florida Panthers on Jan. 12. Rittich is 4-1-1 with a 2.03 GAA and a .932 save percentage.
Calgary is 5-2-0 in second of back-to-back games.
