Historically, the hind end of back-to-backs have not been a point of strength for the Edmonton Oilers but that has all changed since Dave Tippett joined the club. This season his team is 6-2-0 in the second game of a b2b and with that there are still some that are calling tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames a scheduled loss.
The Flames are 9-13-2 on the road this year whereas the Oilers are 15-7-2 at home. Connor McDavid’s team is 7-2-1 in their last ten and Mark Giordano’s club is 5-5-0 but 4-2-0 in its last six. So it would be irresponsible to count them out before the game even started. Besides, we’re talking about the Battle of Alberta here. At the very least, the game will be interesting in one facet or another.
BOA tonight!
Oilers are 5-3-0 vs Calgary this season.
Connor McDavid has 5-10-15 in his last 5GP…and 7-8-15 in 8 GP vs Calgary this season with 4 PPG.
Leon Draisaitl has 1-9-10 in 8GP vs Flames this season.
Mike Smith, likely the starter, he is 17-5-2, 2.32 GAA, .923 SVP. pic.twitter.com/f2FULjtoWa— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) April 29, 2021
Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,
- #11 Mikael Backlund – 15 shots in his last five games but not a goal to show for it. To say he’s due is an understatement. Plus he’s always a good player to watch because he’s gritty and takes no prisoners.
- #13 Johnny Gaudreau – six points in his last five has him leading the team in points during that time frame. I’ve watched a few of Calgary’s games over the last couple of weeks and I’ve noticed a definite uptick in Gaudreau’s level of play.
- #28 Elias Lindholm – Has four goals in his last five games and is almost always a threat when these two teams play.
For Calgary to have success, I think they’re going to have to find a way to take the neutral zone away from Edmonton. The Winnipeg Jets had zero presence in the NZ against the Oilers this week and it allowed Edmonton to walk the puck right into their zone at will. My feeling is that the Flames MIGHT have a better chance of success if they move the battle to the muck. Meaning, in the corners and along the boards.
The loss of Noah Hanifin will be very apparent tonight as he’s been excellent vs. Edmonton this year. Josh Leivo is also out and his muscle and speed along the boards will be missed as well.
With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,
- #21 Dominik Kahun – Since being placed on the top line with McDavid and Puljujarvi, there’s been a noticeable increase in the urgency of Kahun’s play. This is the kind of hard work that usually, in time, pays off with a goal and with the way McDavid is playing, one would think that the reward will arrive shortly.
- #41 Mike Smith – Personally, I think he’s dealing with an injury and that’s why he got the night off last night. Also, yesterday on Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer said that he expects Mikko Koskinen to get more games down the stretch here. Conversely, his in-game intensity is exactly what the Oilers need when they’re facing their provincial rivals.
- # 93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Is the DNY line back? He’s on a minor tear since coming back from a head injury with four points in his last three games. This is the kind of production he needs to take into the playoffs and speaking of production, RNH has 7pts (4g 3a) in seven games vs. the Flames this season.
Three Keys to Success For the Oilers
- Limit D-Zone Brainfarts
The few times Edmonton found itself in trouble against Winnipeg was due to unforced errors in their own zone. A defenseman looking to move the puck up the middle from the corner missed his man and hit one of the Jets right on the tape. I wonder if Calgary’s aggressive forecheck will give some of the Oilers defenders trouble.
- Hit ‘Em on the Counter
With Noah Hanifin out of the lineup, I’m not convinced that the Flames defense is going to be any better at moving the puck and with that I reckon they’ll be more prone to giveaways.
Positioned correctly, the Oilers could catch or prevent those errant passes in the neutral zone and move them the other way quickly.
- Move the Biscuit Briskly
If I’m right and the Flames implement an aggressive forecheck, the Oilers defenders are going to need to get that puck out of their zone right quick but in order to do that effectively their forwards are going to need to get back and sit low in their own zone on the strong side.
It sounds challenging but I’ve noticed Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones doing it very effectively in recent weeks. Both are quite good as escaping situations where the odds aren’t in their favor.
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