Too often we have witnessed the Calgary Flames man-handle the Edmonton Oilers during the first twenty minutes when playing in the Saddledome. On the score-board and in the trenches, the Oilers are beaten after the first period and the outcome is inevitably a loss. Not tonight! The Edmonton Oilers out-played, out-muscled and out-hit the Flames in the first period.
As strong as the Edmonton Oilers were in the first period, they were even stronger in the second period. Another dominating twenty minutes had the Oilers out-shooting the Flames 17 to 4 (34 to 11 after two periods) and take a commanding 5-1 lead into the third period.
So much went right for the Edmonton Oilers, so many players played great games. Statistically, here are the highlights:
- Oilers dominate the shots (42-22) and lead in hits (17-15).
- All but three players had a plus rating. Sam Gagner, Ryan Smyth and Jordan Eberle lead the team with a plus/minus rating of plus three.
- Jordan Eberle and Sam Gagner lead the offensive charge with a goal and two assists each.
- He didn't have to be spectacular, but nonetheless, Devan Dubnyk stopped 21 of 22 shots.
- Ladislav Smid had a game-leading, four blocked shots.
- Eric Belanger was 88% in the face-off circle.
Had to find a negative in this game. So, a familiar one hidden in a small commentary. Although he allowed five goals, it could have easily been a dozen, Miikka Kiprosoff played an exceptional game; it was the rest of the Calgary Fames who did not bother to show-up. Tonight you saw first-hand the difference between a starting goaltending and Devan Dubnyk. Starting goalies give you a chance to win games and even steal games from time-to-time. Dubnyk has a hard enough time not losing the game for the Oilers to concern himself with giving his team a chance at winning or even stealing a game. Night-in and night-out, Miikka Kiprusoff gives the Calgary Flames a chance to win and has been known to steal a game or two for his team. As we have become accustomed to, Dubnyk allowed his usual soft goal. Dubnyk may get there one day. One of the keys to getting there, becoming a starting goaltender, is to cut down on the bad goals.
You remember a time when this seasonal series meant something? It was hatred and havoc on the ice when these two teams met. Long gone are those games, those days. But, do they have to be? Many have pointed out the fact that when one team is up, the other team is down. It has been said that both teams must be good before these games will get back to what they once were. If that is the case, how do you explain the intensity that is always exhibited when the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens play each other or when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers play each other? Both teams are at fault, both teams need to start hating each other again.
I am not going to bore you with how much Calgary has dominated this series for the past couple of seasons, we are all aware of the numbers. I will leave you with this fact: the last time that the Edmonton Oilers won a seasonal series over the Calgary Flames was the 2008/09 season, surprised? This displays just how one-sided this series has been over the past 2 1/2 seasons. The Oilers were 3-2-1 against the Flames in 2008/09.
The Calgary Flames have a legitimate shot at post-season play. The Flames keep finding a way to win while missing Curtis Glencross, Lee Stempniak, David Moss and Mikael Backlund. Currently in ninth place in the Western conference, the Flames have 22 games remaining in the season and 14 of those games are on home ice. At this juncture in the season, the Calgary Flames hold their fate in their hands.
At this point, I think it is a forgone conclusion that the Edmonton Oilers will be picking within the top three in this year's NHL Entry Draft and very likely in the number two position. The only way, outside of winning a crap-load of games or another team completely tanking it, that the Oilers will fall out of the top two is if a team lower than them wins the lottery draft.
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