2020-21 Edmonton Oilers GM13: Oilers vs. Flames – Three Players to Watch

Well, that was quite the performance from Jesse Puljujarvi against the Ottawa Senators eh? Now that the ketchup bottle is slowing, Pulju can get down to business, and one team he’s consistently found a way to perform well against in his short time in the NHL is the Calgary Flames.

In eight games, Jesse has six points (3g/3a), is +3, and has amassed 15 shots.

Now, I don’t know if you noticed, but after that two-goal game against the Senators, Puljujarvi was one of the Oilers made available to the media afterward.

As I was listening to his answers I started to wonder to myself if his short answers were on purpose or if he was challenged to find the right phrasing for veteran scribes like Jim Matheson and Mark Spector, two Oilers beat writers who’ve always supported the Finn since he was drafted by former GM Peter Chiarelli… Oh wait, I think I’ve got them mixed up with someone else.

One of my Finnish sources replied to me, “How obvious is his disdain for Matheson and Spector? He didn’t have any issues with Tony Brar’s question or the Finnish one after.”…

The reporters who talked shit about him behind his back, they’ll have a tougher time with their questions now. Those who were a little less “clickbaity” and more supportive of Puljujarvi while he was gone will be fine.

Jesse didn’t rip Colin White’s face off after the Senator went at him in the corner last game out, so I can’t see Pulju getting all confrontational off the ice either. He’ll just be more calculated. Yup!

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Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,

#6 Juuso Valimaki – The Finn blew out his knee last season just as he was getting hyped as a possible Calder Trophy candidate. Some say he’s got top-pair potential.
#25 Jacob Markstrom – This was the guy the Oilers were hard after this summer and he turned them down. There’ll be some pressure on him to perform and rub a little salt in the wound.
#13 Johnny Gaudreau – JG is on fire this year! Starting the season with 11pts in ten games. His shooting percentage is hovering around 26% at the moment, so it’d be tough to say that he’ll keep that up. But, for the time being, he’s the straw stirring the drink in Cowtown.

For Calgary to have success, all they’ll need to do is keep the game quiet. Don’t poke the bears that are McDavid, Draisaitl, and Kassian. Simply check them tightly, close off the neutral zone, and stay out of the penalty box. Maybe let Kyle Turris handle the puck as much as possible. I keed!

Calgary’s defense is decent. It’s not a world-beater but it is solid. I feel like there’s enough talent in who they’ve been deploying most often in addition to Jacob Markstrom that, if they chose to play a trap game, they could silence Edmonton’s stars.

The Flames are in a bit of a pickle though as they’ve lost five of their last seven and if things aren’t looking somewhat competitive early on in the game, they may look to spark things up in order to find some energy.

With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,

#44 Zack Kassian – Will he be pressed into action from an enforcement standpoint and if so, how will the lack of fans in the building affect that? There are going to be ten meetings between these two clubs this year and might there be a slight hesitation to blow things up early? Conversely, Kassian has a history with the Flames and tends to pick up his play against them. I wonder if we might just get a really good solid “hockey” performance from him as opposed to an impression of the Hanson Brothers.
#22 Tyson Barrie – After a slow start, the d-man is now up to 9pts in 12 games and 29 shots in total. He’s on pace to eclipse last year’s totals (39pts/70gp). In the event that this match turns ugly, you can count on Barrie to be right in the thick of things. He’s no shrinking violet. He’ll get right in there.
#29 Leon Draisaitl – In 24 games against Calgary, he has 24pts as well as 14 PIMs (the most out of any team in the league he’s played against). Safe to say, Leon gets up for these games. Usually, he’s Matthew Tkachuk’s first target and usually, that’s when Tkachuk ends up on his ass for the first time in the game. Draisaitl’s is in peak form right now and when you combine that with his past performances against the Flames, It’d be difficult to bet against him bucking that trend.

I’m writing this the day before (2/5/21) and I haven’t heard much on what Coach Tippett is going to do with the roster. There are rumors that Caleb Jones might be in because he led the stretch at practice or maybe Evan Bouchard could be playing on a pair with Ethan Bear. Gaetan Haas had to take a day off, so his place in the lineup is questionable. Big body, physical types like Jujhar Khaira, Alex Chiasson, and Devin Shore are all available to be inserted as is James Neal who was a healthy scratch against Edmonton’s last game against Ottawa.

Dave Tippett has to decide what kind of game he’s expecting to see from Calgary in some regard. Alex Chiasson and James Neal are big bodies who don’t take any shit plus they serve important roles on Edmonton’s PP. If the Oilers decide to go back to 12F and 6D, maybe he takes one defenceman out (Koekkoek was the extra last time) and inserts Neal?

But if Haas is unable to go, does Tippett stay with the 11F and 7D and toss Khaira in?

Keys to Success For the Oilers

Facetious suggestion: Send out Connor, Leon, and Puljujarvi and witness the second coming of Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr.

Serious Suggestion: Smother Calgary’s triggermen and force them out of the game physically. I’m not saying get dirty and try to f*ck a guy up because that’s what they’re betting on. I’m just saying play the Flames’ offensive threats honestly, keep them to the outside, and please, for the love of Christ, eliminate shots against from the slot and give Mikko Koskinen a hand.

Personally, I don’t know if getting into a war of attrition with Calgary would be a plus this time around. I’d love to see it as a fan, but thinking about the two points. how much season is left, and where the team is sitting in the standings. The two points are far more important right now and banking on wins against Ottawa is a very dangerous proposition no matter how guaranteed they may seem.

That said, if things are to carry over from last season, load up the roster with players who are frothing at the mouth to hop in the ring.