The Calgary Flames are a team in flux. There’s massive pressure from the fanbase and media to start getting things right and I don’t think everybody is on the same page on that team. To me, it feels like some of their better players have let their foot off the has a little bit since Jacob Markstrom and Chris Tanev game in, maybe thinking that they could do that since those two UFA signings might be able to pick up the slack.
Now, with that said, there’s no better opportunity to turn one’s season around than an excellent performance against a hated rival.
On the other side of the ice, the Edmonton Oilers are in a very precarious position. Meaning, they need to start winning games outright in order to get their points percentage to climb. I say that because at the moment they’re sitting in the last available playoff spot behind Toronto, Montreal, and Winnipeg with the Flames right on their asses. If the NHL decides to use points percentage and not points overall to determine the standings, Ken Holland’s club may very well be on the outside looking in…
These four points are critical and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Northern Alberta team would love nothing more than to add more misery to Calgary’s season.
All I’m asking is that we get Jack Michaels and Louie DeBrusk calling these games… Please!
Are the Oilers finding balance?
Consider…
—13 different players have scored their last 25 goals at even strength over the last eight games
—none are named Connor McDavid (who has assisted on six of the 25)
—EDM is 6-2 over that span— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) February 19, 2021
Should they be in the lineup, here are three players that I think you should keep an eye on for the Flames tonight,
- #25 Jacob Markstrom – Right now, Markstrom is the only thing that is stopping this club from a full-on freefall. Vancouver finally solved him this week, he’ll be looking for a bounce back performance.
- #19 Matthew Tkachuk – Tough not to notice him but I don’t think he’s been as impactful this season. Calgary needs a kick in the ass and he’s the kind of player who can spark a team when they’re down.
- #88 Andrew Mangiapane – Quite the ornery jitterbug this player is. He’s worked his way past Dillon Dube and onto the Flames top-line and for a good reason. Five goals and seven points in his last ten games will do that.
For Calgary to have success I think they’ll need to capitalize on Edmonton’s tendency to play down to their opponents. In their previous matchup, they took advantage of a tired goalie and an Oilers team who was floundering defensively. If the Flames want to come way with the two points, they should target Edmonton’s scorers physically. After seeing the Jets do this with a modicum of success and not receiving any blowback from the Oilers, Calgary could give it a try. I mean if they can get Darnell Nurse off the ice, that’s a plus for them, right?
With regards to Edmonton, I’ll be watching these three individuals closely,
- #13 Jesse Puljujarvi – He’s got five points in his last six games and there’s some chemistry forming between Connor McDavid and him. He scored a real beauty in the most recent BoA.
- #25 Darnell Nurse – Edmonton will need him on the ice more often than not, so he’ll have to be careful with how far he takes his physicality tonight. On that note, he can’t let Calgary get away with everything either. He also scored a really nice goal earlier this month against Calgary.
- #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Four points in his last pair of games and 13 shots on goal. The Nuge is getting primed up here for a real breakout. Edmonton will need a complete performance from him against Calgary though.
Keys to Success For the Oilers
Don’t get caught up in Calgary’s shenanigans. If Matthew Tkachuk wants to play it dirty, let him be and target the Flames’ other players. Edmonton can tell players like Alex Chiasson to get stuck in a bit more, right? Jujhar Khaira is a big boy and Adam Larsson will have no problems letting Johnny Gaudreau or Sean Monahan know what’s going on each time they enter Edmonton’s zone. The Oilers main players need to stay on the ice and do what they do best, score.
A couple of weeks ago, Calgary beat the Oilers because Edmonton’s players kept getting caught out of position and their goalie was tired. When this Oilers team plays a sound complete two-way hockey game, they often win. I’m not saying, sit back and trap the hell out of the Flames, but I’m not saying they should try to emulate the 80s Oilers either. Somewhere in between would suffice.
Calgary is all out of sorts throughout their organization. Players want out, the coach is cussing at them through the media, they’ve had a players-only meeting already this year, and now pundits in their area are calling for the GM to shakeup the core…
This is an excellent time to throw the Flames in a sharpshooter and lean back.
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