Unless the Calgary Flames (22-24-3) pull off some sort of miracle, tonight’s Battle of Alberta will be the last one of the 2020-21 season. The Flames will look to tie the season series up at five-a-piece whereas the Edmonton Oilers (29-17-2) will be attempting to win the 10-game series outright.

Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,

• #19 Matthew Tkachuk – I reckon he’s going to leave a lasting impression on the Oilers tonight since he won’t be seeing them until next season. Getting elevated to the top line (according to dailyfaceoff.com) to play with the red-hot Elias Lindholm and team scoring leader Johnny Gaudreau won’t hurt his chances of hitting the scoresheet either.
• #24 Brett Ritchie – This guy has been a real pain the ass for Edmonton. His ability to dominate in the muck and on the wall has caused the Oilers all sorts of problems. Not only that but Edmonton doesn’t have anybody to nullify Ritchie. The last person to try to take him on got knocked out cold.
• #8 Chris Tanev – I’ve been impressed with Tanev’s work on Edmonton’s star players this year. I’ve been equally impressed with his ability to stay healthy. What’s up with that? This guy couldn’t stay off the IR in Vancouver. Either way, we’ll see if he’s up to the task of keeping McDavid and Draisaitl at bay one more time

For Calgary to have success, just mimic the effort they gave on Thursday. Take away the middle of the ice and dominate the board battles. If Jacob Markstrom can play like he did the other night, the Flames will have a puncher’s chance.

The one thing they’ll have to contend with tonight is a rested Oilers team and one that is looking for a bit of retribution. So Johnny and the boys will have their work cut out for them.

With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,

• #71 Ryan McLeod – Gets the promotion to line #2 alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi. McLeod has surely shown his worth to the team in the two games since he’s been called up and now we’re going to see how he does when he’s forced to play up the lineup and in turn against better players.
• #13 Jesse Puljujarvi – So much for the DNY line. Sounds like Pulju might be in Tippett’s doghouse after being sat in Thursday’s game. Now we’re going to see how he does when Connor McDavid isn’t his center, how his role will change playing with McLeod and RNH, and if some chemistry can’t be created here. It’d be a massive revelation if these three could be an impactful second line going into the playoffs.
• #82 Caleb Jones – If this fella can have a good game tonight, I don’t know if there’ll be much of a reason to see Kris Russell back in the lineup other than for an injury. I’ve enjoyed the improved urgency in his game and one aspect of his game that really stood out on Wednesday versus Winnipeg was his pinching and closing off the boards. I hope he has similar success in that aspect tonight.

Three Keys to Success For the Oilers

• Capitalize

The Oilers had a handful of point blank scoring chances in the first game of this series earlier in the week but failed to do so. They’ve got to do much better tonight.

• Move It!

I don’t think Edmonton moved the puck that well in their loss to Calgary two nights ago. They were fatigued, no doubt, but Calgary took advantage of that and used their aggressive forecheck very effectively. The Oilers had no answer.

The one thing that will counter an hard checking team like this is quick and efficient passing. The Oilers could also spread out a bit more and open up the ice so as to force the Flames to skate a lot more.

• Don’t Play Into Sutter’s Hands

Darryl Sutter’s teams check hard and shoot a lot. They also love the overly physical games. He’s “Heavy Hockey” personified. His whole family is. So the Oilers have to turn up the skill tonight and play fast hockey. It’s the one thing that heavy hockey hates because it can’t catch it. It takes dumb penalties trying to and that plays right into skill’s silky soft hands.

All of that said, at one point or another, Edmonton is going to have to get into the muck and work some pucks out of there. The Oilers have the soldiers to do it, but tonight’s probability of success will depend on how fast they can do it and make a possession-positive play out of it.

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

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.

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.

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

To the relief of Calgary Flames fans in C-Town, this will be Edmonton’s last visit to the Saddledome this season. The remaining games will be played in a city more famously known as The City of Champions.

As for tonight’s contest, the Oilers are coming in RED HOT with a 8-2-0 record in their last ten games whereas the Flames (4-6-0 in their last ten) are colder than Darryl Sutter’s eyes.

Edmonton leads the season series 5-2 and is looking to expand on that but they’ll have to do it without one of their better scorers in the 2020-21 Battle of Alberta series because Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is out with an “upper-body injury”. Meaning his bell got run vs. Ottawa a few nights ago and the Oilers are playing it safe with him since they’re looking at another week off due to their pair of games against Vancouver getting postponed until further notice.

Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,

• #88 Andrew Mangiapane – He’s the closest thing to Theo Fleury they’ve had in some time. This guy is annoying as hell, fearless, and skilled to boot. Translation: He’s a dangerous hockey player. He also co-leads the team in goal-scoring in Calgary’s last ten.
• #93 Sam Bennett – Apparently, Bennett has rescinded his trade request and is now as happy as a pig in mud with Darryl Sutter behind the bench. Would it shock you if the Flames decided to build the team around Bennett going forward? Man, what a time to be heading to the basement of the league with the likes of Shane Wright and Connor Bedard on the horizon…
• #17 Milan Lucic – Big Looch has five points in his last ten games and all things considered has played decently against his former club. I can foresee Sutter getting him out there against Edmonton’s d-pairing of Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear as much as possible given the struggles they’ve faced when playing against an aggressive forecheck.

For Calgary to have success, they’re top line, which they’ve stacked, needs to outplay Edmonton’s top line because the Oilers really don’t have enough of their depth forwards scoring consistently to even consider them a threat, whereas Calgary’s third line of Lucic, Backlund, and Nordstrom has combined for 13 points in their last ten.

Chip and Chase when Nurse and Barrie are on the bench but support the walls to cut off the dink off the boards or glass. As we mentioned before, Jones and Bear have had a really tough time recently facing big bodied forwards who can skate well and like to hit. Kris Russell and Adam Larsson handle the physicality better but how they distribute the puck in that scenario can be exploited to Calgary’s advantage.

Lastly, Jacob Markstrom needs to get his head out of his ass and get back to the player he was last season. Without average to good netminding, there’s no helping a team that already has sand traps and houseboating on their minds.

With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,

• #44 Zack Kassian – The heat is on Kassian right now in a massive way. It sounds like the coach is really trying to get him going and there’s a chance we might see him in the top-six alongside one of McDavid/Puljujarvi or Draisaitl/Yamamoto. Were things not going as bad for Kass right before he broke his hand on Erik Gudbranson’s head? He’s got to do something to flip the switch on his game and soon because I wonder if there’s a miniscule chance he’s getting showcased ahead of Monday’s trade deadline? I do remember Florida having interest in him in the off-season.
• #6 Adam Larsson – The Oilers would be lost without The Iron Swede and it’s these meaningless games against a team with nothing to lose that I worry for Larsson. Calgary plays an honest game and Larsson fears nobody, but that’s the problem. His biggest threat is his own back and I hope to the high heavens it holds up.
• #25 Darnell Nurse – Nurse came within inches of making the younger Tkachuk brother regret his decision to jump Leon Draisaitl a few nights prior and I think he’s about to boil over here. Playing the older Tkachuk will not to anything to turn the temperature down, mind you.

Three Keys to Success For the Oilers

• Score Early and Often

The Flames came back to tie the game on multiple occasions against the Maple Leafs in their last game but ultimately lost because they allowed Toronto to get two quick goals on two separate instances. I’d say they’re vulnerable after a goal is scored.

• Don’t Take the Opposition Lightly

I know that it looks like the Flames are going to miss the playoffs, but they’re still a team that can hang with the best of what the North Division has to offer. They kept Toronto’s offense off the board for 23 minutes on Monday before running out of gas and given Edmonton’s record when scoring first (17-2-1), Calgary will be concentrating hard to prevent the Oilers from taking that lead early.

• Stifle Calgary’s No.1 Line

If Sutter is going to put his big boys all on one line, Edmonton just needs to make sure that that trio of forwards sees very little of the puck. Simple as that. Now, if you were coach, would you have McDavid’s line going up against Lindholm’s or would you rather use Leon’s?

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes

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.

Give us a follow on the socials!

• Youtube: Beer League Heroes Channel
• Twitter: @beerleagueheroe
• Instagram: @beerleagueheroes
• Facebook: Beer League Heroes