Calgary Flames shooting to end rival Oilers’ record roll

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Saturday evening might be a complete lot higher than alright if the Calgary Flames can finish the Edmonton Oilers’ file win streak.

Heading into this newest instalment of the NHL’s Battle of Alberta, Connor McDavid & Co. have triumphed in 12 straight. That’s the longest such string in Oilers franchise lore.

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Their southern rivals will surely like to snuff that out.

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“Any sport towards the Oilers is an thrilling one,” Flames winger Blake Coleman stated after Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I anticipate the gang might be just like the way it was tonight. Saturday evening, there’s no place you’d quite be.”

The Oilers are someplace that the Flames want to be.

Because of their present tear, they’ve climbed right into a playoff place within the Western Convention. In actual fact, with Thursday’s comeback victory towards the Seattle Kraken, they leapfrogged previous the Los Angeles Kings and into third spot within the Pacific Division.

These provincial foes most just lately attached for the Heritage Basic at Commonwealth Stadium and many has modified since they took it outdoors in late October as two of the slowest starters on the circuit. When the puck dropped that day in Edmonton, these arch-rival groups had mixed for 3 Ws and the hosts in the end earned a 5-2 choice.

The Oilers have a brand new face behind the bench, with Kris Knoblauch on the helm. Knoblauch was Connor McDavid’s coach in junior, so he gained’t be in the least stunned by what he’s witnessed from No. 97, who has averaged 1.75 factors per sport since his arrival.

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The Flames, in the meantime, have a distinct confidence about them since their earlier conflict with the Oilers. They really feel extra settled with their change to a zone-style defensive scheme and there was plenty of discuss of late about discovering their id.

Essentially the most notable new face on their aspect is rookie standout Connor Zary, who’ll be experiencing his first Battle of Alberta in Saturday’s Hockey Day in Canada capper on the Saddledome (8 p.m. MT, CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). With an harm to fellow freshman Martin Pospisil, Zary and Nazem Kadri will briefly want a brand new sidekick on the second line.

Calgary’s longest win streak of the season, a run of 4 in a row, ended with Thursday’s defeat to the Maple Leafs.

Whereas followers have been ticked that Zary’s coulda-been tying tally was overturned on account of an alleged hand move, the gamers groaned as a substitute about their sloppy turnovers within the impartial zone.

It’s by no means straightforward to take a seat on the house bench and see hats litter the ice, as was the case when Auston Matthews sniped his third of the night for the Maple Leafs.

They’ll need to keep away from an identical scene with McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Greater than something, they’ll need to shut the hole on the Oilers, who’re 4 factors forward within the standings with 4 video games in hand.

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“If we be taught from (Thursday), we’ll have a extremely good probability of profitable on Saturday as a result of we’re taking part in a really comparable workforce,” stated Flames captain Mikael Backlund, whose squad sits at 21-19-5 and has 4 residence dates remaining earlier than their bye/all-star break. “If we do the precise issues and play the best way we are able to with excessive tempo and play the precise manner, then we’re going to have an excellent sport and have an excellent probability to win.”

If not, the Oilers (25-15-1) will wind up making extra historical past.

They’ve a shot now at surpassing the longest win streak by any Canadian-based franchise. The 1967-68 Habs have been additionally dominant for a dozen, however couldn’t stretch their spree to 13.

The Flames will undoubtedly be motivated to finish Edmonton’s epic heater, though you possibly can anticipate to listen to extra speak about getting again to their id. As ahead Andrew Mangiapane defined in a current interview with Postmedia: “I believe we’ve actually began to seek out what makes us profitable, and that’s being quick, taking part in collectively as a workforce, being robust defensively.”

“We’ve been taking part in properly these days,” Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau reminded in Thursday’s post-game interview on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. “Our focus is to pay properly ’til the break. I believe it’s necessary for us to climb within the standings. Clearly, a troublesome one in entrance of our crowd tonight, however I believe we’ve got to overlook about this one.

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“Put this one away and are available again on Saturday.”

ICE CHIPS

The Flames had a time without work Friday, which means we’ll have to attend for the reply to a number of lineup questions. Will Jacob Markstrom, who has missed the previous two video games with a lower-body harm, be again between the pipes towards the Oilers? With reviews that Pospisil is probably going sidelined till after the bye, who slides into his common spot alongside Kadri and Zary? Proper winger Matt Coronato, the main scorer for the AHL’s Wranglers, looks as if the apparent candidate. And can there be a solo lap Saturday? Towering ahead call-up Adam Klapka is ready to be tapped for his NHL debut. Dillon Dube and A.J. Greer have been benched for the ultimate 26 minutes Thursday after each have been on the ice for Matthews’ hat-trick aim, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see a fourth-line shakeup.     

wgilbertson@postmedia.com 

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