Preview: Flames and Oilers Battle For The Second To Last Time This Season

Calgary Flames vs Edmonton Oilers, 8 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

Calgary Flames 5-1-0 (10 pts) – Edmonton Oilers 5-3-0 (10 pts)

TV: SN1, CBC – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Odds: Calgary (-136) Edmonton (+111) O/U: 7

In what seems like an odd, even cruel twist on the NHL season, the Flames and Oilers will play for the second to last time in the regular season tonight. Calgary and Edmonton only face off three times in 2022-23 and they all happen before the start of the new year. So savor this one and December 27th because it’s going to be a while before the next BoA.

These two rivals locked horns in a tightly contested game back on October 15th with the Flames winning 4-3. Dan Vladar got the start in net ahead of Jacob Markstrom and played well enough to earn a victory. Markstrom’s struggles against Edmonton have been well documented (15-13-2, 6-7 with the Flames) and it’s most likely that Dan Vladar will get the start again tonight as Darryl Sutter wants to use the backup once a week. Now this week could be an exception as Calgary only had two games and Tuesday to Tuesday (Flames first game next week) is a long time for your starter to sit. Also, Jacob Markstrom needs to get over the Edmonton hump, especially if Calgary plans on going anywhere next spring during the NHL Playoffs. Calgary’s top keeper has played much better as of late, highlighted by his 32 save, 4-1 winning performance against the high powered Pittsburgh Penguins offence on Tuesday.

On the Edmonton side, they’re very much a Jekyll and Hyde scenario. They have the third best goals for total in the league at 31, BUT have surrendered the 9th most goals at 26. Edmonton has a dynamic and deadly PP, operating at 34.5% which is 2nd best overall. Yet, the struggle in man down situations. The Oilers PK is running at 75% which is 6th worst in the league.

As for goaltending, well, it’s been a mixed bag. Stuart Skinner is 1-1-0 with a 1.44 GAA and a .957 Sv% and has done well in the backup role, but the starter position has been rough. Jack Campbell was brought in to be the true #1 and it’s been a rough start for the new acquisition. He’s 4-2-0, but his GAA and Sv% aren’t prized FA signing material. Campbell is rocking a 3.89 GAA and a .888 Sv%, which when added on to that big five year contract he signed, doesn’t look so hot. In their first game against the Flames Campbell gave up all four Calgary goals on 11 total shots and was yanked in favour of Skinner who played very well and kept the Oilers in the contest.

The takeaway from all this? Both #1 keepers aren’t good against each other, the backups tend to play better in this matchup, Calgary will have to stay out of the box to keep the Edmonton PP off the ice and enjoy this one because there’s only one game between these two left this regular season. It wouldn’t be a BoA without some weird stuff involved.

Puck drop is at 8 PM MT from the Scotibank Saddledome.

Starting Goalies

Calgary: Vladar (E)- 1-1-0, 3.03 GAA, .896 Sv%

Edmonton: Campbell (E)- 4-2-0, 3.88 GAA, .888 Sv%

Injury Report

Calgary: Kylington (IR-Personal)

Edmonton: Smith (IR-LT/Undiscolsed), Klefblom (IR-LT/Shoulder), Benson (IR-LT/Knee), Desharnais (IR-NR/Wrist), Lavoie (IR-NR/Undisclosed)

Betting Odds Via Betway:

Moneyline

CGY: -154 (Favourites)

EDM: +130 (Underdog)

Puckline

CGY: -1.5 (+160)

EDM: +1.5 (-180)

Game Social

@NHLFlames, @EdmontonOilers, @matchsticksCGY, @CopperandBlue, #Flames, #Oilers, #CGYvsEDM

View From The Other Bench

SBN Edmonton Oilers Coverage: Copper and Blue

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 4 – Pittsburgh Penguins 1

Edmonton Oilers 6 – Chicago Blackhawks 5

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Nazem Kadri (C): 6 points in last 4 games

Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl (C): 7 points in last 3 games

by Mark Parkinson