FLAMES GAME DAY
Five storylines to watch for as the Calgary Flames play host to their provincial rival Edmonton Oilers tonight in the Battle of Alberta (8 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome, TV: CBC, Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
1. MOST COMPLETE EFFORT?
Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan thought Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes was their most complete effort in 2017-18. Other games may come to mind (Calgary’s 2-0 win at Anaheim on Oct. 9, a 2-1 OT victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 2, a 6-3 win over Detroit on Nov. 9) but the Flames improved from Tuesday’s 4-1 stinker against Toronto.
2. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The Flames had a meeting after Tuesday’s game against Toronto and challenged the team to take care of unforced errors, better puck management and smarter play. Calgary improved to 14-10-1. “I thought we did a good job of keeping the game simple,” Gulutzan said. They’ll need the same effort in Saturday’s second instalment of the Battle of Alberta.
3. AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE, OIL, OIL, OIL
The Oilers picked up Nathan Walker off waivers on Friday from the Washington Capitals, the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL. The feisty 23-year-old winger was born in Wales but grew up in Sydney. He moved to the Czech Republic in 2007 to pursue his hockey career, playing with the HC Vitkovice. Walker was selected in the third round of the 2014 NHL draft by Washington. He has played seven games for the Capitals this year, scoring once and racking up four penalty minutes.
4. LOOKIN’ AHEAD
The Flames are halfway through a four-game homestand as they follow up their game against Edmonton with the return of G Brian Elliott and the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. The Flames then head on the road for back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The Flames have a 7-6-0 home record.
5. GAUDREAU KEPT OFF THE SCORESHEET (AGAIN)
After being held pointless in Thursday’s game, LW Johnny Gaudreau finished with 19 points in November and just missed setting a franchise record for points in the month. Five players have done it: Carey Wilson (1987); Joe Mullen (1988); Doug Gilmour (1988); Gary Roberts (1992); and Jarome Iginla (2009). Heading into Friday’s games, Gaudreau was still sitting third in NHL scoring with 11 goals and 23 assists and 34 points in 25 games. He sat behind only Tampa Bay snipers Nikita Kucherov (17 goals and 19 assists) and Steven Stamkos (11 goals and 26 assists).
THE BIG MATCHUP
Kris Russell vs. Himself The former Flames defenceman’s own-goal went viral on Thursday as it was one of the deciding factors in the Oilers’ 6-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. No doubt, the toughas- nails, son- of- a- bullfighter will be motivated to make up for it. And what better way to do it in his former place of employment, the Scotiabank Saddledome? The 30-yearold played nearly three seasons for the Flames before he was traded at the deadline in 2015-16. Over the past two seasons, he’s become one of Edmonton’s heart-and-soul players.