Flames-Oilers Preview
CALGARY FLAMES (26-18-8) at
EDMONTON OILERS (23-26-5)
Start Time: 7:08 p.m. MST
Television: Rogers Sportsnet West
Radio: 630 CHED, Oilers Radio Network and online at edmontonoilers.com.
Game Notes | Oilers/Flames Stats Comparison | Player Head-to-Head Statistics
The Edmonton Oilers meet the Calgary Flames in a rare Monday night match-up on home ice this evening.
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"They've got to change for me. I told them this is their last chance and if they don't turn it around I'm going back to the fourth line and they're on their own." - Marty Reasoner, jokingly talking about his role on the top line with Penner and Hemsky.
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Tonight is the fifth game of the season between these two Alberta rivals. Each team has won twice previously – one at home and one on the road. The teams have so far alternated victories with Calgary winning October 20 and November 17 and the Oilers coming away with a victory November 10 and January 13.
Calgary has been a streaky team for most of the season. After five straight losses to open the month of November and an overall record of 4-10-0 in that month, the Flames rebounded with a record of 12-1-3 in their next 16 games. More recently, they had a four game winless streak in mid-January but then followed that up with four straight wins heading into Saturday’s contest versus Dallas.
Edmonton started January on fire with five wins in their first six games and a successful five-game homestand in which they went 4-1-0. The club slipped back a bit on a five-game road trip through the Southeast Division, going 2-2-1. The club is trying to right the ship on their current four-game homestand with a crucial four-game road trip on the horizon. Two games into the homestand, they are 0-2-0.
The two sides will re-familiarize themselves with each other starting this evening. They meet again on Saturday in Calgary as part of CBC’s Hockey Day in Canada.
Just The Facts...
LINEUP UPDATE (12:08 PM): After the morning skate, the Oilers announced that centre
Shawn Horcoff will undergo shoulder surgery and be lost for the balance of the season... Curtis Glencross will make his debut tonight with the team, playing with Stoll and Gagner. Robert Nilsson draws out of the lineup... Mathieu Garon gets the start in goal tonight.
OILERS TO WATCH: Curtis Glencross is expected to make his debut as an Oiler tonight. Having grown up in Red Deer as a fan of the Oilers, Glencross has played some of the best games of his career against Calgary. While with Columbus earlier this season, Glencross scored twice including in overtime to help the Blue Jackets defeat the Flames 4-3 on December 2. In total, he has three goals in two games against Calgary. Glencross will play on a line with Jarret Stoll and
Sam Gagner tonight... Edmonton’s young players have put up good numbers against Calgary, getting their NHL careers off to a good start by Oilers standards. Gagner has two goals and one assist for three points in four games against Calgary while
Andrew Cogliano has a goal and two helpers for three points… Goaltender Mathieu Garon has started three games against the Flames this season and has a 2.02 goals-against average and .936 save percentage with a 2-1-0 record in those games…
Dustin Penner only has two assists in four games against Calgary but leads the Oilers with a +2 rating and 14 shots on goal.
FLAMES TO WATCH: With Calgary playing both tonight and tomorrow night (at home to Phoenix), head coach Mike Keenan has hinted that recent free agent signing Curtis Joseph could get his first start as a Flame in one of those games.A former Oiler, Joseph has done very well when going against Edmonton in his career. He has a record of 20-8-4 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 33 appearances versus his former team. Joseph signed with Calgary on January 14 but Miikka Kiprusoff has played every game since the signing... Jarome Iginla has struggled in recent games – at least by his standards. Heading into Saturday’s game versus Dallas, Iginla had not scored a goal in eight straight with only four assists during that span. Despite the drought, Iginla still ranks among the NHL’s scoring leaders. He was tied with Daniel Alfredsson for third in the league in goals with 32 and tied with Ilya Kovalchuk for fourth in points with 64… Kristian Huselius has also struggled recently with only two points (one goal, one assist) in his last eight. Prior to that, Huselius was as hot as anybody in the NHL with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in a 12-game period… RW Owen Nolan had his first hat trick as a member of the Flames last Wednesday against the Sharks.
ROSTER UPDATES: Edmonton –
Sheldon Souray (shoulder) is doubtful.
Shawn Horcoff (shoulder) is out. Raffi Torres (knee) is out; Calgary – Anders Erikkson (shoulder) is questionable.
FAST FACTS: Calgary has not lost a game in regulation this season when leading after either the first or second period. after one, they are 9-0-3 and after two they are 14-0-3... No Flames player has more than one goal against the Oilers this season though 10 different players have found the scoresheet once… Calgary has a record of 13-9-1 on the road this season through 23 games away from the Saddledome. Last year they had 13 wins all of last season (13-20-8)… Edmonton has killed off 20 of 23 Calgary power plays this season and is 3-for-16 with the man advantage in the Battle of Alberta… Four of Edmonton’s eight goals scored against the Flames have come in the first period.
The Answers
Pre-Game Video...
- Will be available later today.
Pre-Game Audio...
Sunday's Audio:
Sunday's Video:
- Oilers forward Curtis Glencross spoke with the media following his inaugural practice with the team on Sunday:
700K
News Update...
Oilers acquire Curtis Glencross from Columbus in exchange for Dick Tarnstrom - The Edmonton Oilers have obtained rookie forward Curtis Glencross from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenceman Dick Tarnstrom.
...more
More News
The Other Side
- The Craig Conroy Show - Flames centre Craig Conroy grabs the microphone and interviews teammates in the Flames dressing room.
Listen
- Game Preview - Will be available later this morning.
Item of the Game
- Tonight's item of the game is a Youth Tie Dye Cap. (Regular $24.99 on sale for $17.99)
From the Fans
Odds and Ends
- Andrew Cogliano on Oilers Live - Edmonton Oilers rookie centre Andrew Cogliano will be the guest on Oilers Live this Thursday, February 7 at 1:30 p.m. MST. Follow the link to get your question in! ...more
From the Wire
The Calgary Flames are challenging for the Northwest Division lead, but they also may be concerned about a recent lack of production from Jarome Iginla.
The All-Star will try to score for the first time in 10 games as the Flames travel to face the Edmonton Oilers in the latest chapter of the "Battle of Alberta" on Monday night.
On Jan. 5, Iginla recorded his 16th multipoint game of the season in a 6-4 win over Los Angeles, capping a 19-game stretch in which he had 19 goals and 11 assists. Since then, however, he's managed only five assists in nine games.
He notched a point on linemate Daymond Langkow's goal in a 2-1 loss to Dallas on Saturday night that snapped Calgary's four-game winning streak.
"I'd like to score," Iginla told the Flames' official Web site. "Tonight is the most chances I've had in a while but (Stars goaltender) Marty Turco played really well. You just have to stay positive and go to the net."
Iginla has points in all four games against the Oilers this season, totaling a goal and five assists. The Edmonton native has just six goals in his last 13 regular-season visits to Rexall Place.
Calgary is 12-1-3 when Iginla has at least two points in a game, but 14-17-5 when he doesn't.
Miikka Kiprusoff made 22 saves in Saturday's loss, but could sit in favor of Curtis Joseph, who's yet to play since signing with Calgary on Jan. 17.
Joseph, whose next win will match Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for fourth all time with 447, played with Oilers from 1995-98, and is 10-6-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and two shutouts when visiting Edmonton.
Coming into this game, Calgary (26-18-8) has 60 points and is tied with Colorado for second in the Northwest, three points behind Minnesota. The Avalanche will play host to Phoenix while the Wild are idle.
Edmonton is last in the Northwest with 51 points, and tied with Chicago for 13th in the Western Conference.
The Oilers (23-26-5) fell 4-1 to Dallas on Friday, and have been outscored 10-2 in a three-game skid at home. Zack Stortini gave Edmonton an early lead with his second goal of the season but still lost its seventh straight at home to the Stars.
"It was a tough one," Oilers forward Marty Reasoner said. "It was a must-win game for us. We know how important these games are for us at home. We have to be able to find a way to tie that game back up and go ahead. It was pretty frustrating."
Dwayne Roloson stopped 18 Dallas shots and lost for the sixth time in seven starts. Mathieu Garon could get the start in this contest, but he hasn't posted a regulation win in four starts since beating Calgary 2-1 on Jan. 13.
The Oilers played Friday without leading scorer Shawn Horcoff (21 goals, 50 points), who was out with a sore shoulder and questionable for this game. Horcoff and Ales Hemsky each had a goal and assist in the Oilers' home win over the Flames last month.
The longtime provincial rivals have split their four previous games.
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