Gretzky over the shoulder of Mike Vernon (sorry), Theo Fleury sliding down the ice, epic moments in Calgary Edmonton history for sure. Tonight certainly didn’t hold up to that standard, but for the first time in 11 years the Flames and Oilers met in a game past the midway point with both teams in a playoff spot. How sad is that? 11 years!
With the LA Kings and Nashville Predators behind both Alberta teams the push will be arduous down the stretch but for the time being the Flames and Oilers are both now teams once again, a great return to a rivalry.
In recent years the two teams have clashed in high scoring affairs, but tonight the two teams ground out a tense 2-1 Oilers win in a shoot out, with both clubs clearly understanding the importance of the game in the standings both tonight and the rest of the way.
They get back at it next weekend in Calgary, fun to see these two dormant giants go at it again.
The Flow
Normally when the Flames and Oilers meet you get fire wagon hockey, guys left open, odd man chances, numerous powerplays and a game bereft of good old fashioned defense first hockey. That’s why the first period of play was somewhat surprising as the two teams instead ground out 20 minutes of some of the most careful hockey ever seen in the Battle of Alberta. The Flames had the best chance of the period when TJ Brodie jumped up in the play, used Johnny Gaudreau as a decoy and then slid the puck across to Sean Monahan, who one timed it but was beat by the glove hand of Cam Talbot. The Oilers had spurts of territorial pressure but couldn’t generate much by the way of blue chip chances against the Flames and Brian Elliott; 0-0 after one.
The second period was tight as well, but the slight edge by the Flames in the first 20 was certainly replaced by an edge to the home side as the Oilers seemed to carry the play for the most part. The Oilers opened the scoring on a powerplay when an attempt to center the puck hit Dennis Wideman out front and slid into Brian Elliott with Patrick Maroon finding the loose puck and jamming it home. In a tight game the goal seemed ominous so it was somewhat surprising when the Flames tied things up just 20 second later, Sean Monahan collecting a rebound and firing it home, his second goal in two nights. Game tied 1-1 after two periods setting up a really important third period.
More of the same in the third period as the two clubs open up a little bit and exchange the odd scoring chance but both Cam Talbot and Brian Elliott come up large when required with neither team able to settle things. The Flames best chance came on a three on one with Johnny Gaudreau being pushed wide by a diving defender giving Gaudreau nothing but a shot on the short side. The Oilers had their chances too including a late powerplay chance that could have delivered two points to the Oilers in regulation time. Instead they wind it down and send the period into overtime, game tied 1-1.
The overtime period was Oilers early and Oilers late with a little bit of sandwich filling from the Flames in the middle. On their heels the Flames did well to keep the puck to the outside, recognition to Michael Frolik especially who did a great job of forward turning defenseman to keep things at bay. No score in the overtime, heading to a shoot out tied at one.
The shoot out shakes out quite easily for the Oilers as both Draisaitl and Letestu score for the Oilers while both Monahan and Gaudreau come up empty, Oilers win in a shoot out.
Possession Pulse
First Period – Solid first period for the Flames with a 13-7 shot attempts lead, scoring chances 8-5 for the Flames.
Second Period – Shot attempts all even at 11 in the second period, scoring chances 8-4 for the Oilers.
Third Period – Flames back out front in the third with a 20-16 advantage, scoring chances big in Flames favour at 13-8.
Overtime – All Oilers in the fourth period with a 7-1 shot attempts lead, scoring chances 6-0 for the Oilers
Players – Very good night for the Flames five on five as only five players finished with a corsi value (five on five) under 50%. Good sign for the Calgary squad as many of the team’s best players led the way with Gaudreau over 70% and his center Sam Bennett at 64%. The Giordano/Hamilton combo was also in the mid 60s to lead the club. The only guys with negative numbers included the bottom pairing of Jokipakka and Engelland and 2/3 of the fourth line in Lance Bouma and Matt Stajan. Kris Versteeg was the only wild card in the bunch.
1. Cam Talbot: Razor sharp in the first 65 minutes, and perfect in the shoot out stopping both shots as he picks up the win for the home side.
2. Brian Elliott: Exorcized some season starting demons with a dominant effort in Edmonton. Nevermind those shootout goals, the guy was huge in the first 60 and next 5 minutes to give his team a chance.
3. Patrick Maroon: Scores the Oilers only goal (officially) and almost wins it in overtime with a great move to his backhand.
Big Save
Cam Talbot on Sean Monahan in the first period was pretty huge, but Brian Elliott on a tip by Jordan Eberle in overtime takes the cake as a game saver.
The Goat
The very definition of a non-goat game as both teams and all their players came to play. No passengers on either side, and no glaring mistakes that led to game changing goals. Pass!
Mr. Clutch
Sean Monahan. Tied with Gaudreau for 4 shots on goal to lead the team, scored the teams only goal and came close in the shoot out. Had an element of edge to his game finishing some checks as well.
Odds and Ends
One big change in the lineup as the Flames swap things up and go with Brian Elliott over Chad Johnson in net. Controversial? Yes and no. First off back to back nights usually sees a swap in net, so that’s hardly newsworthy. The Flames lost last night, so a swap in goaltenders after a loss is certainly somewhat expected. But recent records has Brian Elliott winning 5 of his last 6, while Chad Johnson has lost 6 of 8, though many fans probably have Elliott’s start in Vancouver fresh on the brain. I like it for the fact that the season started with Elliott playing both games against the Oilers and getting lit up in both. The man had something to prove after the Vancouver start, but a little revenge against the Oilers was also an interesting wrinkle. … Given where this provincial battle is heading in the next few years, it was interesting to see the Flames neutralize the damage that Connor McDavid could cause with his speed. They tiered up the neutral zone to keep him from finding loose pucks and used Kris Versteeg against him whenever they had a chance. As a result the gifted young center didn’t stand out all that much, which was a far cry from the damage he caused in the first two games of the season. … The return of Troy Brouwer has had a positive ripple effect on the Flames forward lines. Monahan has now scored in back to back games, and the Bennett/Gaudreau combination had a pretty good night in Edmonton tonight. Glen Gultuzan would be wise to stick with it as it appears the Flames suddenly have the makings of three lines that can get things done on the pressure front. … I’d go with Brian Elliott on Tuesday as I thought he was excellent tonight. He had a rough time in the shoot out but was solid in the real portion of the hockey game tonight. Happy to see him get a point in Edmonton after having a rough start to his Flames career in the same building three months ago.
Next Up
The Flames host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, game time 7pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Versteeg – Monahan – Brouwer
Gaudreau – Bennett – Chiasson
Hathaway – Stajan – Bouma
Giordano – Engelland
Brodie – Wideman
Jokipakka- Engellend
Elliott
