3 Keys: Flames at Oilers, Game 4 of Western Second Round

(1P) Flames at (2P) Oilers
9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS
Edmonton leads best-of-7 series 2-1

The Calgary Flames will look to limit Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and try to even the Western Conference Second Round in Game 4 at Rogers Place on Tuesday.
The Oilers lead 2-1 in the best-of-7 series, which has rekindled the Battle of Alberta in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1991. McDavid is the only player in NHL history with nine multi-point games in the first 10 games of a postseason.
McDavid leads all playoff scorers with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 10 games and has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in the series.
The 25-year-old won the Art Ross Trophy this season as the NHL's leading scorer for the second straight time and fourth in his career with 44 goals, 79 assists and 123 points, each a League career high.
RELATED: [Complete Flames vs. Oilers series coverage]
Asked what the priority is for Game 4, to limit McDavid or defeat the Oilers, Flames forward Milan Lucic said: "You've got to find a way to do both. He's a great player at the top of his game right now. You've got to find a way to shut down individuals and you've got to find a way to beat a team. It's both."
McDavid said Tuesday he believes Edmonton's speed will be essential to maintaining success.
"Calgary's a little more aggressive," he said. "We're finding the game goes up and down the ice a little bit more against Calgary than it did against L.A. (in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings). We're a good-skating group. We think that plays into our advantage so we have to use that each and every night."
Teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-7 series in Stanley Cup Playoff history have a record of 296-31 (.905).
Here are 3 keys for Game 4:

1. Increasing 5-on-5 time

The Flames say they have been trying to avoid penalties but haven't been able to follow through on that desire through the first three games of this series; there have been 50 penalties called, 25 on each team.
In Game 3, a 4-1 Edmonton victory, there was 43 minutes of 5-on-5 play. In Game 2, there was 41:08 and in Game 1, 46:46.
Flames forward Trevor Lewis said the 5-on-5 time will go up if they manage the puck better.
"I think it goes back to the turnovers," Lewis said. "You turn the puck over, you're chasing back and you're a lot more tired and you take more penalties when you're tired. So I think our puck management and sticking to our structure will go a long way."

2. Oilers offensive leaders must keep pushing

Edmonton's top point producers have been instrumental in taking the series lead, and more of the same will be required to keep the upper hand on the Flames.
The line of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl (19 points; seven goals, 12 assists) and Evander Kane (13 points; 10 goals, three assists) has combined for 55 points in Edmonton's first 10 playoff games. The last time three teammates combined for at least that many points through 10 postseason games was in 1988, when Wayne Gretzky (22 points; five goals, 17 assists), Jari Kurri (18 points; nine goals, nine assists) and Mark Messier (22 points; seven goals, 15 assists) combined for 62 points for the Oilers.

3. Lessons from Round 1

Each team hopes something learned in the first round will be helpful Tuesday.
Edmonton held a 2-1 first-round lead on Los Angeles but was defeated 4-0 in Game 4.
"Game 4 was probably our worst of the series," McDavid said. "I think it's an opportunity for our group tonight to show we've learned our lesson and bring our A-game tonight."
The Flames were down 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in the first round but won 4-1 in Game 4.
"We were in this situation before," Lewis said. "It's obviously a big game for us. We can tie it up 2-2 going back home. We have to make sure we're ready and come out with a better start than we had last night and go from there."
Flames coach Darryl Sutter was a little more blunt.
"We've got to win a game on the road at some point," Sutter said. "I think tonight would be a critical game for us."

Flames projected lineup

Johnny Gaudreau -- Elias Lindholm -- Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Dillon Dube -- Calle Jarnkrok -- Tyler Toffoli
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Brett Ritchie
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov -- Michael Stone
Oliver Kylington -- Erik Gudbranson
Jacob Markstrom
Dan Vladar
Scratched: Adam Ruzicka, Ryan Carpenter, Connor Mackey
Injured: Chris Tanev (undisclosed)

Oilers projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Leon Draisaitl
Zach Hyman -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jesse Puljujarvi
Warren Foegele -- Ryan McLeod -- Kailer Yamamoto
Josh Archibald -- Derek Ryan -- Zack Kassian
Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci
Duncan Keith -- Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak -- Tyson Barrie
Mike Smith
Mikko Koskinen
Scratched: Philip Broberg, Devin Shore, Derick Brassard, Kris Russell
Injured: None

Status report

Tanev skated Tuesday morning, but the defenseman is expected to miss his fifth straight game. ... Nurse did not take part in the Oilers morning skate Tuesday but is expected to play. ... Edmonton is expected to dress the same lineup it used in a 4-1 win in Game 3 on Sunday. ... Russell, a defenseman, will be healthy scratch for the third consecutive game.