Alberta Clipper: Train ride saves Flames, Oilers on a roll
When four consecutive losses had the Calgary Flames floundering back in January, coach Glen Gulutzan saw a train ride as the perfect opportunity for a happy hour in motion that was anything but celebratory.
“I gave the guys some beer,” he said. “We told the guys to take the headphones off and sit together and figure this thing out.”
Riding the rails for two hours from Montreal to Ottawa gave the Flames a chance to essentially save their season. They have won 17 of 22 games since and went from on the bubble of making the playoffs to a team that will give opponents fits when the playoffs begin in three weeks. Alberta is actually home to two of the hottest teams in the NHL: A three-hour drive to the north in Edmonton, the rival Oilers are rolling, too. The province will almost certainly have two playoff teams for the first time since 2006 with the Oilers poised to end their 10year post-season drought and the Flames set to make it for the second time in eight seasons.
Because Calgary has mighty-mite scorer Johnny Gaudreau and Edmonton MVP front-runner Connor McDavid, it’s no longer crazy to dream about a “Battle of Alberta” playoff series, which hasn’t happened since 1991.
“The rivalry is there (and) obviously it’s gotten better this season because our teams are finally starting to win some hockey games,” Oilers forward Matt Hendricks said. “Hearing the stories of the past and how great it was, the excitement level in Edmonton right now with hopefully playoffs right around the corner for our club, it would be very, very exciting.”
When the Flames lost 5-1 to the Canadiens on Jan. 24, they were 24-24-3 and clinging to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. That was the week that turned Calgary’s season around, and it started with some beer and conversation on that train.
“Guys were hanging out, having a good time, chatting with each other, joking around, having fun where normally guys would be headphones on watching their movies or playing cards,” right winger Troy Brouwer said. “I think just the camaraderie that we had on that train ride really showed a lot to the guys of how close a group that we are.”
As Calgary tries to return to the playoffs under their firstyear coach, the Oilers are in the process of erasing a decade’s worth of demons. They finally have their franchise goaltender in Cam Talbot, McDavid leads the league in scoring and second-year forward Leon Draisaitl has 65 points in 72 games. The debut season of the Oilers’ new $480 million Rogers Place arena happens to feature one of their best teams in years. “It obviously helps when our horses are carrying us night and night out,” Hendricks said. “Cam’s been outstanding, Connor’s been outstanding.”