Last week the Scotiabank Saddledome was a busy place, with the Calgary Flames hosting three games. On Tuesday, the Flames handed the Vegas Golden Knights their first loss of the 2022-23 season by a score of 3-2. That win improved the Flames’ record to 3-0 before a clunker on Thursday, which saw the team drop an ugly 6-3 loss to the upstart Buffalo Sabres. After opening the scoring, they fell behind and never recovered after Alex Tuch’s hat trick.
Calgary returned to the ice on Saturday night for a marquee matchup on Hockey Night in Canada. They edged out the mighty Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, 3-2, to stay on top of the Pacific Division with eight points. Tyler Toffoli collected his second game-winner in three games, while Jacob Markstrom earned another win despite getting pulled in the Buffalo game. A handful of players like Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau could have earned Player of the Week honors, but statistically speaking, the week’s heroes were Toffoli and Markstrom.
After five games in the first ten days of the regular season, the Flames have a pretty quiet week with just two games on tap.
Tuesday, Oct. 25 @ 7:00 PM vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Saddledome)
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins come to Calgary on Tuesday night, the second night of a back-to-back. On Monday, the visitors will be in Edmonton to take on the Oilers and their high-octane offense. The Flames should not take the Penguins lightly since they are averaging 5.2 goals a game; however, they may be a little tired after trying to keep Connor McDavid off the scoresheet.
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This matchup will be the Flames’ third straight game against an Eastern Conference opponent, which means valuable points are on the table to maintain their division lead. Last year, the Flames won both games with the Penguins, which included a 4-0 shutout and a 2-1 shootout win.
Historically, the Flames hold a slight lead in the matchup (112 games) with a 46-45-18-3 record, and they lead in scoring — 388-374. Moreover, newly acquired Huberdeau has played the Penguins 25 times in his career and has 15 points thanks to five goals and ten assists.
These two teams will meet again at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Nov. 23, 2022.
Saturday, Oct. 29 @ 8:00 pm vs. Edmonton Oilers (Saddledome)
The Flames and Oilers locked horns on the season’s opening weekend, with the orange and red rolling to a 4-3 win at Rogers Place. The Battle of Alberta is always intense, and the Oilers return to the scene of their playoff triumph from last season, giving Calgary fans a chance to boo McDavid every time he touches the puck.
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Saturday night will mark the 262nd meeting between the provincial rivals, with the Flames holding a commanding lead in the series 131-105-19-6. On top of securing more wins, the team from Southern Alberta also has an edge in scoring 901-853. Last year the two teams split their four games 2-2, with the Flames gaining an advantage in goals 17-16. However, the Oilers ended their season in five games during the second round of the playoffs.
Related: 3 Reasons the Edmonton Oilers Won the Battle of Alberta
As the longest-tenured Flames player on the roster, Mikael Backlund loves to play the Oilers. In 56 games, he has 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points, all career highs against a single opponent.
The final chapter of the Battle of Alberta takes place at the Saddledome on Dec. 29, 2022.
Check back every Monday for another Flames Weekly post, where we preview more upcoming Flames games.
