5 THINGS - FLAMES VS. OILERS
The Flames open a busy week with the Battle of Alberta at the Scotiabank Saddledome
Video: Brendan Parker sets up tonight's Battle of Alberta
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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
Focus Forward - Flames Keeping Eyes on the Prize
Projected Lineup
Say What - 'Doesn't Have Any Weaknesses'
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Johnny Gaudreau (71)
Goals - Andrew Mangiapane (29)
Oilers:
Points - Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid (79)
Goals - Leon Draisaitl (38)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 23.1% (9th) / PK - 84.4% (5th)
Oilers:
PP - 25.6% (4th) / PK - 75.7% (27th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 55.47% (2nd)
High-Danger Chances: 56.04% (2nd)
Oilers:
Shot Attempts: 52.60% (9th)
High-Danger Chances: 50.10% (17th)
How's the heart rate, Flames fans?
Catch your breath yet?
Apologize to the neighbours for the 'excessive' noise next door?
In what was easily the most exhilarating game of the season (so far!), the Flames went toe-to-toe with the league's top dog before Johnny Gaudreau scored the OT winner in a tantalizing 4-3 verdict.
Elias Lindholm tallied a pair, Erik Gudbranson scored the other, and Dan Vladar made 33 saves, as the Flames improved to 13-1-1 in their last 15 games.
And in doing so, made a big statement to the hockey world at large.
"It was a back-and-forth game. A lot of emotions," Gaudreau said. "We saw a little bit of everything.
"Just really proud of our team tonight."
The Flames out-shot the Avs 37-36, while both powerplays went 1-for-2. It was a dead-heat throughout, with a pace that rivaled Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Playoff series, but the Flames found that extra gear when they needed it the most.
"It was huge," Lindholm said of the win. "Two good teams. Obviously, they have a really good record at home and we knew it was going to be a tough one.
"It was a good test for us and a good game."
Tonight, the scene shifts to the Scotiabank Saddledome, where the Flames will open a busy stretch of five games in seven nights - culminating, ironically enough, with a rematch against the very same Avs next Sunday at Ball Arena.
But for now, the Battle of Alberta is all that matters.
And the Flames are looking for their first win against their QEII Cousins after dropping both games at Edmonton's Rogers Place earlier this year.
The Flames have points in 12 straight at the 'Dome dating back to Jan. 13, and have outscored their opponents 57-20 in that span.
Video: "They're a team we're gonna have to finish ahead of"
The Oilers are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at Rogers Place, and have now dropped two straight and five of their last seven.
Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Nick Suzuki, Arturri Lehkonen and Mike Hoffman tallied for the visitors, while Evander Kane and Ryan McLeod supplied the offence for the homeside. Former Flames goalie Mike Smith - who's been fighting it all year - stopped 24 of 28 in a losing effort.
"Just not good enough," Connor McDavid told reporters after the game. "They're a team that's obviously playing well since their coaching change, and they were better than us tonight."
The Oilers captain was held off the scoresheet for the 13th time this year. Smith, meanwhile, now has a 5-8-1 record, along with an .891 save percentage and a bloated, 3.57 goals-against average in 15 appearances.
However, Smith missed Sunday's practice with a non-COVID illness, and will not be in the lineup tonight. The Oilers have recalled farmhand Stuart Skinner, who will back up Mikko Koskinen
Koskinen, who was pulled in his most recent outing, is 7-0-1 in his last eight decisions. Overall, he has a 19-8-3 record, along with a .904 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average.
Of course, any time you play the Oilers, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are front and centre. The pair sit tied for the league scoring lead, three points up on second-place Jonathan Huberdeau.
Draisaitl enters the night with five points (2G, 3A) on a three-game point streak, while McDavid has four points (1G, 3A) in that same span.
Injury Report: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jesse Puljujarvi, Zack Kassian, Josh Archibald and Tyson Barrie are all out. ... The Oilers currently have a stomach bug going through the team (see: Smith) and could be without defenceman Evan Bouchard, also.
VERY GOOD-REAU: Thanks to the second of his three points on Saturday, Johnny Gaudreau reached the 70-point mark for the fourth time in his career. Since the Flames franchise moved to Calgary in 1980-81, Gaudreau is the seventh-fastest (54 games, tied with Gary Roberts) to achieve that mark.
Gaudreau also passed Gary Suter and now sits alone in fifth place on the Flames all-time scoring list with his 565 career points. He now trails Joe Nieuwendyk (616) for the fourth-most points in franchise history.
CHILD'S PLAY: With his three assists on Saturday, Matthew Tkachuk recorded his ninth three-plus point outing of the season. He is now tied with Mikko Rantanen (COL) for the second-most such games among all players (most: Leon Draisaitl EDM
Oilers - Derek Ryan
The former Flame will be making his first trip back to the Saddledome after spending three years in Calgary, from 2018 to 2021.
The 35-year-old has been held pointless in his last three, but has made his mark offensively of late. Ryan tallied his first-career NHL hat-trick in a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Feb. 26.
He followed that up with another goal in his next outing, and now has 14 points (8G, 6A) in 52 spins this year.
Gaudreau's overtime winner Saturday was the 11th of his career, tying Sean Monahan for the most OT winners in franchise history.
