Flames face the McDavid challenge
EDMONTON, CALGARY BOTH HOPE GOALIES WILL SNAP OUT OF FUNKS
Stopping Edmonton’s No. 97 has gotta be a group effort, and Calgary’s captain Mark Giordano, his usual defence partner TJ Brodie and shutdown centre Mikael Backlund will be among those focused on Mission: Minimize McDavid during Saturday’s latest instalment of the Battle of Alberta. Good luck, gents.
Connor McDavid, the Oilers wunderkind, is right in the thick of the NHL’s scoring race with 10 tallies and 26 points already in 18 outings this fall. He has done plenty of damage in a dozen career clashes against Calgary, racking up nine goals — his highest total against any opponent — and six assists in the provincial power struggle.
Here are 5 Things to Watch for on Saturday in Calgary:
Rivalry Renewed
Saturday marks the first of four instalments this season of the NHL’s Battle of Alberta. The Flames have notched back-to-back victories over their provincial foes, a sigh of relief for the southerners after the Oilers had rolled to seven straight triumphs in these rivalry matchups. The neighbouring clubs are also cosy in the Pacific Division standings — currently separated by just two points — so that should only crank up the intensity in Saturday’s showdown.
Battle of Backups
Geography isn’t the only thing these squads have in common — both are trying to snap their go-to goalies out of their current slumps. After starter Mike Smith surrendered a tiebreaking, back-breaking softie — Artturi Lehkonen’s wrister through the wickets — in Tuesday’s 3-2 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Flames will lean on David Rittich against the Oilers. At the other end will be Mikko Koskinen, who earns a third straight start in favour of Cam Talbot.
Together Again
Anxious to end a four-game losing skid, the Oilers reunited the dangerous duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and the payoff was immediate, with that pair combining for six points in Tuesday’s 6-2 trouncing of the Habs at Rogers Place. Drake Caggiula, tied for third on the team scoring charts with six strikes so far, is currently working the left wing alongside Edmonton’s top guns. That’s a plum assignment.
Switching Sides
Glen Gulutzan had to return his keys to the Saddledome last spring, but the former Flames bench boss returns to his old stomping grounds Saturday. Gulutzan was fired by the Flames in April — and replaced less than a week later by Bill Peters — and eventually moved a few hours up the road to Edmonton, where he is now an assistant on Todd McLellan’s staff. Gulutzan, 47, posted a 82-68-14 record in two campaigns as Calgary’s skipper.
This n’ That
The Oilers and New York Rangers swapped struggling forwards Friday, with Ryan Spooner on the move to Edmonton and Ryan Strome packing his belongings for the Big Apple. The 26-year-old Spooner mustered one goal, one assist and a minus-5 rating in 16 appearances with the Rangers this fall … Calgary’s top-line rightwinger Elias Lindholm missed Friday’s practice due to a sore foot, but he should be good to go for the Battle of Alberta.