The Edmonton Oilers will try to make it seven straight wins in the Battle of Alberta Thursday night when they host the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place.
The Oilers are 2-0 against the Flames this season and swept the four-game season series in 2016/17.
“Let’s make sure we understand: we have our challenges with Calgary. They’re a great team. They’re competitive. I think they’ve improved throughout the year,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan.
“We’ve been able to scrap wins out, sometimes playing well, sometimes coming from behind. When you play your provincial rival, you should be excited.”
The Oilers have been beaten 5-0 in three of their last five home games, including Tuesday’s dismal performance against the Buffalo Sabres.
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“Every team has their slow nights. We’ve had it more frequently for some reason,” said captain Connor McDavid.
“We still believe in each other. We still believe that we can go in and beat any team on any night.”
The Oilers held an optional morning skate so there weren’t line rushes. However, Brandon Davidson is expected to play and the Oilers could go with seven defenceman. Davidson has played just twice in the last 11 games.
“It’s a tough position for sure,” said Davidson. “You have to learn from the outside-in. I want to be the guy on the inside. I’ve pushed to be that guy. I feel like I belong, and I deserve to be in this lineup.”
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The Oilers are 21-24-3 on the season. The Flames are unbeaten in regulation time in their last 10 games, going 7-0-3. They’ve dropped three straight in overtime or a shootout.
Catch the Oilers and Flames on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.
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