The hype train has been rolling for two-and-a-half weeks for Wednesday’s Battle of Alberta.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames. Zack Kassian vs. Matthew Tkachuk.
It’s on everybody’s mind.
Right?
“All this stuff you’re talking about, there’s none of it going on in our coach’s room or our dressing room,” head coach Dave Tippett said.
OK, so the Oilers are downplaying the rivalry, but there’s no doubt there is genuine animosity.
On Jan. 11, Tkachuk leveled Kassian with a couple of big hits. Late in the second period, Kassian punched Tkachuk several times and was slapped with a two-game suspension.
“I think it’s a blast. It brings the fire out and brings the passion out for hockey,” Kassian said. “I didn’t mind the hits. I think they’re a little offside. He’s a passionate guy. He hit me. What I did was right, too. There’s going to be two sides to every story, right. There’s passion in the game. I felt I did what I had to do.”
That’s why Kassian doesn’t feel the need to be looking for a fight on Wednesday.
“I thought I got enough good shots in in the incident itself,” Kassian said.
“This isn’t the 80s where we’re just going to line brawl. It’s two important points.”
“If this was the first game of the playoffs, would you be out to settle scores and stuff like that? It’s about winning. Zack understands that. He doesn’t want to put our team in a bad position,” added Tippett. “It’s about winning. The importance of the game trumps everything. The importance of a team trumps everything.”
“We gotta play to win the game,” Kassian said. “We play Calgary two times in the next three games. They’re important points.”
The Oilers have gone 6-1-1 in their last eight. Catch the Oilers and Flames on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The game will start at 8 p.m.
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