January 29, 2020 /

2019/20 Edmonton Oilers GM50: Flames @ Oilers – 3P2W – It’s All Happening! Or Is It?

Everybody is going to be in the building tonight when the Edmonton Oilers take on the Calgary Flames for part three of five in this season’s Battle of Alberta. George Parros (Head of the Department of Player Safety), Stephen Walkom (NHL’s Director of Officiating ), Colin Campbell (Director of Hockey Operations) will all be in attendance for this one leading some to believe that there might be some messages sent that are the kinds you only get in person… So they can’t be traced or brought up at a later date… No evidence any talks actually took place…

The local media has been hyping the living sh*t out of this game as if it was the next coming of Christ, but I have a feeling that she’s gonna be toned down a bit. I’ve heard some media believe that Matthew Tkachuk will drop the gloves with Zack Kassian at the earliest convenience and that’s fine but do you really expect Tkachuk not to just tie Kassian’s hands up and hold on for dear life or for the officials to jump in as soon as a helmet falls off like they did when Darnell Nurse and Sam Bennett got into their tilly last year?

Both teams have inserted some extra muscle into the lineup for this one. Bud Robinson, a 6’6″ behemoth was called up right after the all-star game for Calgary and Edmonton is throwing Jujhar Khaira and Matt Benning into theirs. Both Benning and Khaira can chuck the knucks and offer some real sandpaper.

I wonder though might it be a bit quieter than expected? Oilers play-by-play colorman Bob Stauffer noted on his radio show yesterday that most recently the shenanigans have been taking place down in Calgary. I mean, there’s a ton on the line for Edmonton here. They really need to come out of this game AND the next installment of the BoA that takes place on the weekend with at least three out of four points in order to further solidify their place in the playoff race this year. But should this game be a throwback, the Oilers are fully capable of handling whatever Calgary wants to throw at them. It’s not even a question.

So maybe things get concluded early on and then the two teams settle down and play some hockey. I’m thinking with the way the standings are right now, that sounds exactly like what both coaches will be preaching before the game starts. Leave it all until game 82…

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The Next Ten Games (41-50)

  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – The Oilers should be bitter as hell coming back from the Christmas break and looking for retribution. In terms of gf/ga on the year, the Flames are -12 and Edmonton could feast on that. The Oilers have taken two of the past three contests. (WIN) LOSS
  • vs. New York Rangers (17-15-4) – Edmonton will get its first look at 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and welcome back former Oiler, Ryan Strome. This should be a scheduled win for Edmonton as the Rangers aren’t anything special this year. The Oilers have won three on the trot vs. the Rags. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Buffalo Sabres (17-14-7) – Generally, over the years the Oilers have had pretty good luck in Buffalo, but this year Jack Eichel is a man possessed and last time Rasmus Dahlin was out of the lineup. If Dahlin is back in for this game, he’ll add a significant threat. I like Edmonton’s chances here though. (WIN)  OT LOSS
  • @ Boston Bruins (22-7-9) – The Bruins went into the Christmas break on a bit of a slump going 2-4-4 in their previous ten. This is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to win even when Boston is at their worst and there’s no better team to bust a slump against than Edmonton, right? (LOSS) WIN
  • @ Toronto Maple Leafs (20-14-4) – Toronto’s confidence was sky high before baby Jesus’ bday, but guess who comes to play each time he’s back home. That’s right, Connor McDavid. It will take a complete team effort for the Oilers to beat their nemesis, Freddy Andersen, though as he’s really had Edmonton’s number. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • @ Montreal Canadiens (18-13-6) – I really enjoyed Edmonton’s performance against the Habs in their earlier match. If the Oilers can replicate that, I don’t see why a win is out of the question. (WIN) WIN
  • @ Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Round two! Ding. Ding. In Calgary, I think the Flames might be able to muster up a win here. (LOSS) LOSS
  • vs. Nashville Predators (18-12-6) – Is Pekka Rinne in net? If so, I’ll give this one to the Oilers. If it’s Saros, the Preds have a much better chance of success. They’ve been an interesting team to watch this year and are playing in a tough division. Their 42pts at the break had them in 3rd last in the Central… (WIN) WIN
  • vs. Arizona Coyotes (21-14-4) – Hallsy’s back and if the Oilers would like to go that extra mile, they could show him how much of a powerhouse they plan to be next season by wiping the floor with Arizona, but it’ll be a tough game. Arizona is a lot deeper than the Oilers and their netminding has been much better. This needs to be a game where Edmonton’s defense shines. (OT LOSS) WIN
  • vs. Calgary Flames (19-15-5) – Coming off of a 10-day break, Mikko Koskinen and the Oilers will be well-rested. In theory, they should be as ready as they’re ever going to be to take on their inter-province rivals. (WIN)

(Standings as of December 26th, 2019)

I thought I was being a tad facetious when I predicted that the Oilers’d come out of this 10-game stretch with 14 out of a possible 20 points. Well, they’re going to get at least 15 points if not more here. 6-2-2 (7-1-1) and that’s just fine by me. I hope this long break gives them the rest they’re going to need going into the final 32 games because they’re going to be playing nearly every two days until their last game of the year against… Calgary… Where they’ll have their longest break since the one they just had, a three-day rest. So buckle up Oilers fans, the rollercoaster is just about to begin.

Tonight’s Game

  • Calgary went 3/4 on the powerplay against St. Louis last night, so it’s probably safe to say that the Oilers need to stay out of the penalty box. That’s what burnt them last time out against the Flames and they certainly do not need a sequel to that movie.
  • That advice is something the Geoff Ward’s troops will need to heed as well. Edmonton has the best PP in the league and with the director of officiating watching, maybe the game gets called a bit tighter…
  • As I mentioned above, Calgary is on the back half of a back-to-back, the Oilers need to capitalize on their fresh legs and early because the Flames have scored most of their goals this year in the final frame and the least amount in the first period. Whereas Edmonton has scored the majority of their goals in the first and the least in the third.
  • That said, Calgary is the 2nd-best team in the NHL this year when trailing first. Edmonton is 26th in the league.
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Three Players to Watch for the Flames

  • #19 Matthew Tkachuk – Does anybody know the last time this guy actually scored an even-strength goal?
  • #10 Derek Ryan – Three points in his last five matches and now he’s up on the 2nd line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The former U of A Golden Bear is a crafty player and can be used in nearly all situations thanks to his skill on the dot.
  • #33 Dave Rittich – Big Save Dave will have to be on his mark for this one as I believe the Oilers are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him. He’s had a down year but in his last three outings, he’s 1-2-0 with a 2.32 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

Three Players to Watch for the Oilers

  • #44 Zack Kassian – Kass has already been downplaying what his plans are for this game. I reckon he’ll play the game and try to help his team win but if there’s an opportunity to hit a guy or if someone wants to go with him and the time is right, he’ll do it. He did say he got his licks on Tkachuk already though… So we’ll see where this goes.
  • #54 Jujhar Khaira – The ice couldn’t be any thinner for JJ. He needs to make an impact in this game and show his coaches what he’s got to offer or he’ll be playing somewhere else shortly. I think he’ll drop the mitts with someone. Maybe Lucic?
  • #25 Darnell Nurse – He was pretty invisible before the break and these are the kinds of games we need him to step up. Be that on the scoreboard or with his fists, Nurse needs to remind these boys from down the QE2 that the Oilers are far from pretenders.

CategoriesBeer League Hero Edmonton Oilers NHL

TagsCalgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Matthew Tkachuk NHL Zack Kassian

Beer League Hero Written by:

I'm the Beer League Hero! I am from Camrose, Alberta but I make my home in Taipei City, Taiwan. I've been through the ups and downs and the highs and the Lowes, the Bonsignores and the McDavids, the Sathers and the Eakins but I'll never leave my Oilers, no matter what! They're with me until the end and then some. GO OILERS GO!