The Edmonton Oilers are coming off of a horrendous loss to the Montreal Canadiens. A game in which many have written off due to exhaustion since it was on the back-end of a b2b with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Calgary Flames have only been victorious in two games since they beat Edmonton 4-3 on March 16th and the light at the end of tunnel seems galaxies away as they are six points behind Montreal for the last playoff spot in the North. Not helping things, the Habs also have four games in hand… #GoodnightIrene
Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,
- #5 Mark Giordano – He’s leading the team in goal-scoring over the past five games with two snipes. I could be mistaken, but in the past against Edmonton, he’s been much more of an impact player. This season he’s been a shell of his former self but as we know with cagey vets, they always seem to have a really good game shelved away for a rainy day.
- #10 Derek Ryan – Here’s a guy that’s been on Edmonton’s radar for a few years now but until now, haven’t been able to lure him north. He’s excellent on the faceoff, he’s a righty, and Bob Stauffer loves this guy. Is there a better recipe for a good Oilers trade rumor?
- #93 Sam Bennett – He has to be angling for a way out of Calgary before things really get worse. An excellent game tonight against the hated rivals would surely catch the attention of a GM elsewhere knowing what he can bring in the playoffs and the cheap acquisition cost now that the Flames are over a barrel.
For Calgary to have success, I believe they should win the shot volume and get bodies to the net. Mike Smith is having himself a legendary season for the Oilers but he’s still susceptible to deflections and screen shots. The Flames have some very big and strong forwards that can cause Edmonton’s defensemen some real mental inflammation.
Get a goal early, hold on for dear life, and hope the Oilers make more mistakes down the road. Edmonton’s form against Montreal was horrifying and there’s not a doubt in my mind that Calgary didn’t watch that whilst drooling all over themselves in anticipation of this game. The question is, can they up their game enough to make the Oilers look that bad again?
With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,
- #13 Jesse Puljujari – I feel like Pulju has slowed somewhat recently and at the end of yesterday’s morning skate he and Connor McDavid had a lengthy chat. What it was about we’ll never know, but I think Jesse should find a way to make a mark tonight. His last goal was against these very Flames and he has had good luck versus the Flames in his career.
- #97 Connor McDavid – Speaking of players with good luck against Calgary. McDavid has 14pts in six games when the Oilers and Flames have played each other.
- #82 Caleb Jones – Tonight could be Jones’ last chance to make an other-worldly impression on Edmonton’s coaching staff. I say that because he’s nearly at the point to where he couldn’t pay to get into the lineup. The Oilers need him at his peak as Calgary’s forecheckers are going to be buzzing. A good performance would also help if Ken Holland was using him as trade bait…
Three Keys to Success For the Oilers
- Counter Attack
Calgary hasn’t had much success since Edmonton beat them last time these two clubs met, but if the Flames are to come out with any bit of fire in their bellies, alongside that intensity will be soft chips into the corner and a furious forecheck.
All Edmonton has to do is get to the puck first and move it back up the ice ASAP. If the centers come back deeper and the strong side wingers do as well, that should give the Oilers an odd-man advantage in their own zone and, in theory, as easier way out of their zone.
Of course, it all hinges on execution and which team successfully completes their plan on each play.
- Traffic on Markstrom’s Porch
It doesn’t seem to be in a lot of players’ DNA to make a living net front but Edmonton has a few forwards on the roster who do quite fine there. Jesse Puljujarvi, with his new man strength, as well as Alex Chiasson and Zack Kassian are good examples. Hell, even little Killer Yamamoto can be a handful with his excellent eye/hand coordination.
Now, seeing as Edmonton has the likes of Tyson Barrie, Darnell Nurse, Ethan Bear, and Caleb Jones in the lineup tonight, it would behoove them to get some more bodies in Markstrom’s grill and take a few more long-distance shot attempts. If the Flames are as defeated as they’ve looked, scoring off of this tactic shouldn’t be an issue.
- Mind the Skillers
It’s easy to be aware when the likes of Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Tkachuk are on the ice, but Calgary has two players in Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube who fly under the radar a bit and seem to get their names on the scoresheet against the Oilers more often than not.
My feeling is that some of Edmonton’s own underappreciated forwards would done by very well if they were to make an impact defensively tonight. It doesn’t mean a fight or a hard hit though, I’m talking about a fantastic backcheck or a stick lift at a key moment as these are going to be required on a shift-by-shift basis in the post-season.
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