Calgary Flames
Flames take on Oilers: Playing for Pride
Game Preview #81
There appears to be this rumor going around that the Flames are in contention for the playoffs – this rumor has been started by the Edmonton Oilers. In this narrative the Oilers cast themselves as the mighty team to cast the Flames from the playoffs.
Yeah right.
Last game against the Oilers I had to painfully listen to the Oiler announcer gleefully proclaiming the Oilers were eliminating the Flames from the playoffs. What a game, what a team, oh the future is so bright I have to wear shades. It was a great play by play for Oiler fans but then the Flames had to wreck it all by deciding they wanted to play half a period of hockey in the final frame.
The Flames came back from a three-goal deficit, tied the game and went onto beat the Oilers in the Shoot-out for the two-points. All this to the utter humiliation of several heady Oiler fans who were busy trolling away in various Flames game-day threads all over the internet during the game.
Don’t buy into the hype of this narrative. The Flames mathematical hopes of getting into the playoffs, I don’t even want to use the term probability anymore, rest on the Blackhawks and Ducks losing – not the Flames winning. Even with the Flames winning out in the remaining two games it is highly unlikely they will make the playoffs.
Nonetheless, a good game should still be up for grabs. The BOA is alive and well, even with the thinned ranks of the Oilers, we saw some good chirping last game.
Let the Battle begin, it is all about pride.
More of the usual game preview after the jump…
The Stat Rack
Flames |
Rank |
|
Rank |
Oilers |
18.6% |
9th |
PP% |
28th |
14.1% |
81.2% |
19th |
PK% |
28th |
77.7% |
2.82 |
19th |
GA |
28th |
3.13 |
2.91 |
7th |
GF |
27th |
2.35 |
47.9% |
24th |
FO% |
30th |
44.4% |
Number Crunch
The Oilers are bottom three in the NHL in all 5 categories. I expect an offensive game – goals will be scored. We may have an entertaining goaltending battle but the goals will go in.
Alive in the Last Five
Flames
Jarome Iginla – 6G 4A +1 in his last 5GP
Alex Tanguay 2G 5A +4 in his last 3GP
Mark Giordano 1G 6A -1 over his last 5GP
Oilers
Jordan Eberle 1G 3A (even) in his last 5GP
Magnus Paajarvi 3G 1A -2 in his last 5GP
Linus Omark 2G 3A +1 in his last 5GP
Ryan Jones 2G 2A -1 in his last 5GP
Anticipated Roster (subject to change by game time)
The Flames |
The Oilers |
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Tanguay |
Langkow |
Iginla |
Hartikainen |
Vande-Velde |
Eberle |
Glencross |
Jokinen |
Bourque |
Paajarvi |
O’Marra |
Jones |
Kostopoulos |
Backlund |
Jackman |
Reddox |
Cogliano |
Omark |
Bouma |
Stajan |
Nemisz |
Strudwick |
Jacques |
MacIntyre |
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Regehr |
Bouwmeester |
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Chorney |
Gilbert |
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Giordano |
Carson |
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Peckham |
Foster |
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Babchuk |
Sarich |
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Petry |
Vandermeer |
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Kiprusoff |
Karlsson |
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Khabibulin |
Dubnyk |
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Anticipated Game Style
Not calling this one based on the bizarre last game the two played. The Oilers have just beat the Canucks in two straight games and who knows if the Canucks are already floating to the playoffs at this point or not. I didn’t watch those games, so I can’t judge.
Assuming the Oilers beat a Canucks team that was giving a genuine effort, that is quite impressive and means the Flames should be on notice.
One on One
Daymond Langkow vs Linus Omark
Langkow is still in my must watch list, I like what I see and I am keeping a close eye on him.
Omark is another Baby Oil to keep your eye on. This guy is one of their lower picks in the 4th round 97th overall in 2007. Lots of flash and dash for the scoring side but very weak on the defensive side of the game, he is 2nd worst on the Oil with a -15 overall. Remains to be seen if he will solid up a roster spot, as he is a third line player on an already thin Oiler line-up.
The Magic 8-Ball
The Magic 8-ball is thinking Flames all the way – rack up those points Iggy…
by M Smith