The Edmonton Oilers’ offseason is trending to be quite different than their provincial rivals the Calgary Flames. Edmonton is looking to make minor adjustments to their Cup-contending team, whereas Calgary might have a major transformation and lose key players. The two teams are set to face each other at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 29 for the Heritage Classic, and a question on everyone’s mind is what will the Flames’ lineup look like at that time?
The Flames have been in the news lately because Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm are leaning towards not returning to the team in a year, defenceman Noah Hanifin stated that he won’t be coming back and Tyler Toffoli is on the trade block. As such, the team is at risk of losing significant players, and this all comes after already seeing former stars Johnny Gaudreau leave to the Columbus Blue Jackets and feisty forward Matthew Tkachuk traded to the Florida Panthers almost a year ago. With so many Flames reluctant to return to the team, it begs a question that’s been on everyone’s mind for almost a year, and that’s whether the Oilers truly broke the Flames when they eliminated them in five games during the 2022 Playoffs.
Oilers’ Star Players Were Too Much for the Flames to Handle
When the Oilers and Flames met in the second round of the 2022 Playoffs, it was the first Battle of Alberta in 30 years and there was a big emotional build-up of excitement province-wide. To recap, the Oilers lost Game 1 in a wild fashion, with both teams combing for 15 goals in a 9-6 Flames win; however, the Oilers were resilient and won the next four games. That said, Game 5 ended in dramatic fashion, as both Alberta teams combined for the four fastest goals in NHL playoff history. The finale was intense with McDavid scoring the game-winning goal 5:03 into overtime.
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Additionally, the Oilers’ star players showcased their dominance throughout the series. Leon Draisaitl, who was playing with a lower-body injury, registered 17 points in five games, which was third most all-time in a single playoff series. Moreover, his 15 assists in the five games set an NHL record for most helpers in a playoff series, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s old record.
The Oilers’ Captain held his own as well, with McDavid tallying 12 points in five games and other notable Oilers’ achievements during the series included Evander Kane scoring a natural hat trick in Game 3 and Zach Hyman became the first Oilers’ player to score a goal in each one of the team’s first give games in a series.
To add to that, the Oilers got in the head of Flames’ goaltender Jacob Markstrom after allowing six goals in Game 1 and he couldn’t recover for the rest of the series. During the 2021-22 regular season, he posted a .922 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.22 goals-against average (GAA) and only allowed 11 goals in seven games in the opening playoff round against the Dallas Stars. However, in the five playoff games against the Oilers, he gave up 24 goals and posted a .840 SV% and a 4.80 GAA. Overall, the Flames unfortunately did not have an answer for the Oilers’ star players.
Flames Were Likely Aware They Couldn’t Measure up Against Oilers in the Future
Simply put, the Oilers imposed their will on the Flames in their second-round series in 2022 and the dominoes started to fall for Calgary shortly after. While McDavid and Draisaitl combined for 29 points in the series, Calgary’s top line of Gaudreau, Tkachuk and Lindholm only had 13 points combined between the three of them.
Moreover, on McDavid’s series-winning overtime goal, Gaudreau was guilty of trying to exit the zone early instead of battling for the puck, and that ended up being his last shift in Calgary as he chose to sign a seven-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Not long after, Tkachuk informed the team that he wouldn’t sign long-term and he was traded to the Florida Panthers in a mega deal.
Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman was on the “Jeff Marek Show” Podcast and the topic of conversation was about the Oilers potentially breaking the Flames’ spirit after the 2022 Playoff series and he said, “Trying to win, you have to see the person between you and the trophy you’re trying to win.” Considering that statement, it’s possible that Gaudreau and Tkachuk acknowledged how the Oilers’ star players overwhelmed their team and saw them as standing in the path of winning a Cup one day. They likely realized they’d be a tough match-up in the future and wanted to try their chances at winning with another team and the current Flames might be burdened by that line of thinking as well.
Also, to emphasize the idea that the Oilers likely broke the Flames with their playoff series win over them, Friedman also mentioned that he spoke with an Oiler (he did not mention any names) recently and revealed the Oiler felt he had an inclination they could unravel the Flames, with Friedman saying of the Oiler, “They knew if they won the series, they could possibly break up the Flames.”
The NHL Draft is on June 28 and free agency starts on July 1 and those events can be catalysts for teams to start making moves. With that in mind, let’s hope the Flames can stay competitive because the Battle of Alberta has produced some must-see television in recent years, and when the Oilers and Flames rivalry is at its finest, it’s good for hockey as a whole.
Do you agree that the Oilers likely broke the Flames’ spirit with their 2022 Playoff series win? Have your say in the comments below!