Oilers find their footing against Flames under the stars at Heritage Classic

The oil patch workers defeated the cowboys 5-2 on Sunday evening at the Heritage Classic.

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, dressed to fit the festive occasion, battled under the Edmonton sky in front of over 55,000 fans braving the near zero-degree temperatures. 

“It was a tribute to the hard-working Albertans out there,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of the outfits the players wore coming into the stadium and during pre-game media availabilities.

Both clubs came in to the contest with early season struggles. The Oilers had just one win through their first seven contests, while the Flames had just two victories through their opening eight games. Both squads billed the outdoor spectacle as more than just two points. It was a picturesque scene that could change their fortunes and the trajectory of their season.

In the end, Edmonton scored, and its stars showed up. Calgary again couldn’t find the back of the net at even strength, and its stars found themselves on the third line. 

“Such a unique experience,” McDavid said, “one that you only get to experience once or twice…so you just try to soak it all in.”

After missing two games because of a lower-body injury, McDavid picked up an assist and logged 23:26 of ice time. He and Leon Draisaitl combined for three assists and were plus-five.

Edmonton also got contributions from lower in the lineup. Their second line of Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman combined for six points, and blueliners Evan Bouchard and Vincent Desharnais each scored.

For Edmonton head coach Jay Woodcroft, it wasn’t just that the Oilers won. It was how they won. 

“We looked like us and it’s a credit to our players,” he said. “We got back to playing a certain way…we played fast. We played hard…this team has won a hundred games in the last two seasons. This team has played in five playoff series over the last two seasons. We’ve done a lot of really good things. But for me, that’s the way we need to play.

“I think we just played like ourselves,” Hyman added. “There was less thinking. We were fast. We were skating.”

While the Oilers found their game on the big stage, the Flames continued their prolonged search for a collective team identity.

There are troubling signs that this group as assembled may just not have another offensive gear after being together for more than 90 games dating back to last season. Calgary has gone nearly three full games since its last five-on-five goal (both tallies on Sunday were at the tail end of powerplays.)

Linemates Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri (who did score his first of the season on Sunday) are making a combined $17.5 million this season but played less at even strength on Sunday than the likes of Dryden Hunt, Andrew Mangiapane, and Elias Lindholm.

The group looks slower than opponents on most nights and lacks creativity when they do get offensive-zone time. Edmonton had 28 scoring chances on Sunday to Calgary’s 12. The Flames are now 30th in goals per game and their goal differential of -15 is second worst in the league.

Forget average, there is serious cause for concern that Calgary can produce even the bare minimum offensively. 

“I thought they were quiet,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said of the Huberdeau line. “Everybody can be a difference-maker in their own way. Some guys are hard to play against. Some guys are speedsters. Some guys are tenacious around the net. So understanding what makes them really good hockey players…they’re key players for us. They’re very good at what they do.”

Despite the unfavourable numbers, Calgary captain Mikael Backlund isn’t panicking yet.

“I know we’re capable of scoring more,” he said. We’ve got a lot of good players…I know it’s going to come.”

In a moment that both teams billed as a possible TSN Turning Point to their season, the Oilers seized the opportunity under the stars on Sunday to show the hockey world why they merit consideration as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

“That resembled who we were, who we are, and how we’re going to carve a path heading forward,” Woodcroft said.

Calgary, meanwhile, leaves Commonwealth Stadium with even more questions about what its potential as a team truly is right now.