At long last, Flames break Oilers’ hex
Painful seven-game losing streak against Alberta rivals ends with shutout victory
The Calgary Flames needed the points, they needed the pick-meup — and if your cousin, co-worker or a chirpy chum hails from Oil Country, you probably needed the shut-’em-up.
With Tuesday’s 1-0 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers at the Saddledome, the Flames snapped a seven-game losing skid against superstar Connor McDavid and the rest of their archrivals from up the road.
It had been more than 23 months — dating back to April 2, 2016 — since the crew from Calgary celebrated their last victory in the NHL’s battle of Alberta.
“It’s a big win,” said Flames centre Matt Stajan, who helped seal Mike Smith’s shutout with a gutsy shot block in the final seconds. “There’s no doubt we’re in our own heads here at home. We’re having trouble scoring goals for whatever reason. So to pull out a 1-0 win on home ice against your rival, that’s big. That’s big for us, and that’s something we can build off of.”
Left wing whiz Johnny Gaudreau sniped Tuesday’s lone goal, but the biggest hero was Smith. In just his second start since a fourweek absence due to a lower-body injury, he kicked aside 28 shots for the shutout.
The all-star puck-stopper didn’t just snap the Flames out of their funk against their northern neighbours, he also cooled off McDavid, who arrived on a seven-game sizzler, with a half-dozen goals and 13 points during that superb stretch.
The Oilers wunderkind slipped past two defenders in the first, but Smith delivered a poke check as he arrived at the doorstep.
McDavid was also denied of an assist on a second-period power play as Smith got his glove on Ryan Strome’s point-blank one-timer.
He saved his best work for the third. McDavid teed up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a two-on-one rush, but Smith was having none of it, sliding across for a clutch pad save.
On that same shift, he denied McDavid on a slick deke to his backhand.
“Obviously, (the Oilers) have a lot of skill on their team and they’re probably not where they deserve to be in the standings,” Smith said after Tuesday’s goose egg. “But they still can burn you if you let them.”
In their quest to stay relevant in the Western Conference playoff race, the Flames have claimed that the opponent is irrelevant.
On most nights, sure. On Tuesday, poppycock.
Flames bench boss Glen Gulutzan even dusted off Jobu, the good-luck charm from the baseball comedy Major League who has been in storage since helping end the historic skid at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., this fall.
After Tuesday ’s win, the Flames remain two back of the wild card, although they’ve played more games than the squads they are pursuing.
“We said in the second intermission, heading into the third, let’s just do everything right,” said Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic, another on the lost list of difference-makers in Tuesday ’s victory. “You see guys lying down, blocking shots, or guys getting over the red or the blue and just dumping pucks in…
“We had a one-goal lead and we relied on our goalie. We felt that we didn’t need to win the game 5-0. It would have been nice, but we know that come playoff time, this is how you win games: close scores like this.”
Next up for the Flames is Friday ’s four-pointer against the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome. The Sharks are swimming in second spot in the Pacific Division standings.