Flames at Oilers
The Calgary Flames get one last chance to maintain their dominance on their provincial rival's home ice when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night in the Battle of Alberta. The Flames have made themselves at home in Edmonton, posting a 7-0-1 record in their last eight visits - with their last regulation loss coming on April 1, 2013.
With the Oilers set to move to a new arena next season, Saturday's matchup will represent Calgary's final chance to victimize Edmonton at Rexall Place. However, the Flames have been a trainwreck away from home and sport the league's worst road record at 12-24-3. The Oilers have dropped four of their last five games and are last in the Western Conference with 67 points - three fewer than Calgary. The teams have split four meetings this season, with Edmonton snapping a seven-game skid at Rexall Place with a 2-1 shootout victory on Jan. 16.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, CBC
ABOUT THE FLAMES (32-40-6): Making the last stop on its four-game road trip, Calgary will attempt to bounce back from a pair of decisive losses at Anaheim and Los Angeles that dropped its record to 0-8 against the two Pacific Division powers. The Flames have won only eight of 26 games (8-15-3) against their division rivals after posting a dominating 22-6-1 mark against the Pacific last season en route to their surprising playoff run. "It's been a tough year for us in our own division. I don't know why," Calgary center Mikael Backlund said.
ABOUT THE OILERS (30-42-7): Connor McDavid, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month after amassing five goals and 11 assists in 15 games, which included a seven-game point streak that was halted in Monday's 2-1 loss to Anaheim. McDavid joined Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin as the only rookies to win the monthly honor three times, a feat more impressive in light of that fact that he missed nearly three full months to injury. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins practice Friday for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 22.
OVERTIME
1. McDavid has appeared in only two games versus Calgary, notching a pair of goals and an assist.
2. Calgary has permitted seven goals in 17 short-handed situations over the past five games.
3. Oilers F Jordan Eberle has scored five times in his last eight games and has 10 tallies and 15 assists in 28 contests versus the Flames.