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If the Calgary Flames must dig deep and discover causes to remain absolutely motivated throughout their closing stretch of video games this season, effectively … a minimum of Saturday night time needs to be simple.
It’s the Edmonton Oilers who’re rolling into city, in spite of everything, and a Battle of Alberta at all times packs just a little additional punch, figuratively talking.
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Does it matter within the standings? No, not for the Flames.
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However being mathematically eradicated from the playoff race doesn’t imply the bragging rights don’t matter.
“For town, they’ll take it into the summer season and throw some chirps round on the Oilers followers,” mentioned Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar. “It’s at all times going to be an enormous sport.”
The Flames had been eradicated from post-season competition with Thursday night time’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets, however the writing had been on the wall for some time.
The Oilers, in the meantime, are on a livid quest to trace down the Vancouver Canucks for first place within the Pacific Division. Heading into Friday night time’s sport towards the Colorado Avalanche, the Oilers had been seven factors again of the Canucks with two video games in hand.
So the margins are skinny for the Flames’ rivals to the north, however first place continues to be very a lot a chance.
When you’re the Flames, perhaps making it just a little tougher for the Oilers on Saturday (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) can function additional motivation.
However which may not even be mandatory. That is the Battle of Alberta, in spite of everything, motivation is rarely onerous to return by.
“Each time you play and it’s Oilers-Flames, it’s a special ambiance and a special vitality that comes into the constructing,” mentioned Flames rookie Connor Zary. “It doesn’t actually matter the place we’re at or the place they’re at, it’s that rivalry that will get ignited and it’s at all times enjoyable.”
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It’s additionally an enormous deal for guys who’ve by no means performed in a Battle of Alberta, like Daniil Miromanov. He was acquired within the commerce that despatched Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights originally of March and whereas he’s performed in massive rivalry video games earlier than, Saturday might be his first sport towards the Oilers in a Flames uniform.
And yeah, he’s hyped in regards to the alternative.
“I’m excited,” Miromanov mentioned. “You already know, hockey in Canada is a special hockey. It’s actually thrilling, I skilled that just a little bit towards Montreal at house, it was an incredible ambiance, an incredible sport. I feel it’s going to be an incredible sport and an incredible battle, so I’m excited for it.”
PROGRESS MADE
Because the Flames awaited phrase on whether or not Martin Pospisil would obtain supplementary self-discipline for the hit on Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey that noticed the younger Slovakian tossed from Thursday night time’s sport, head coach Ryan Huska spoke about his participant being extra cautious on the ice.
The Flames don’t need Pospisil dramatically altering his sport, however they do want him ensuring he doesn’t cross the road. That’s one thing that has been communicated to the 24-year-old and Huska believes there’s been progress for the reason that final time Pospisil was suspended in early March.
“There’s nights in our video games the place he’s had seven to 10 hits in a sport and none of them over the past month have been ‘Oh, that’s a nasty hit,’ “ Huska mentioned. “He’s nonetheless doing a very good job ending his hits, he’s attempting to play onerous, he’s attempting to be first on the forecheck, which we wish him to do, all these issues. Final night time would most likely the primary one the place you might even remotely query certainly one of his hits.”
daustin@postmedia.com
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