The trend in the Battle of Alberta has seen Edmonton’s top players outplay Calgary’s top players. When that happens it’s no secret that Edmonton has won three of four games this season, and four of the past five meetings, averaging 4.8 goals per game over that five-game span.
So we asked Darnell Nurse if it is fair to judge a player on how he plays in rivalry games like Monday’s in Calgary, where the Flames have won two straight since Darryl Sutter took the reins.
“There are different matchups over the course of the year, and every one presents a different challenge,” began Nurse. “Is it fair? Yes, but by the same token you can’t base everything off of one matchup, or one (opponent). There are so many teams that present different challenges.”
Predictably, Connor McDavid leads the way this season with 10 points in the four games and he has a career average of 1.33 points per game against the Flames. The series sees five different players tied with four points each in second place, and over the long haul, nobody comes close to McDavid’s average scoring rate of 0.83 goals per game, with 20 goals in 24 career games against Calgary.
So what makes McDavid so effective in the Battle of Alberta?
“Connor has lots of goals and lots of points against every team,” said Oilers head coach Dave Tippett. “It just so happens we play Calgary a lot.”
Sutter agreed, saying, “I don’t think he’s singled out the Calgary Flames as his main target,” with a chuckle on the weekend. “I’ve watched him lots. I live 80 miles from Edmonton, so I’ve watched the Oilers as much as I’ve watched Calgary or Vancouver. McDavid’s a good player. Bottom line is he’s head and shoulders the best player in the league.”
Career Battle of Alberta Stats
Johnny Gaudreau: 23 points, 31 games (0.74 points per game)
Matthew Tkachuk: nine points, 18 games (0.50 ppg)
Sean Monahan: 22 points, 31 games (0.71 ppg)
(Elias Lindholm has 23 points in 22 games against Edmonton, though only 12 of those games were played as a Flame.)
Connor McDavid: 32 points, 24 games (1.33 ppg)
Leon Draisaitl: 28 points, 28 games (1.00 ppg)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 32 points, 41 games (0.78)
Oilers Lines
Here’s our best bet at the Oilers lines tonight:
Draisaitl, McDavid, Yamamoto
Ennis, Nugent-Hopkins, Puljujarvi
Shore, Khaira, Archibald
Neal, Haas, Chiasson
Nurse, Barrie
Lagesson, Larsson
Russell, Bear
Smith
It looks like James Neal comes in and Patrick Russell comes out, while Tippett said that Kris Russell will play tonight if he is cleared by the doctors. Caleb Jones will come out.
Mike Smith gets the start in goal, winning both of his starts versus Calgary this season, posting a 1.50 goals against average.
Flames Lines
Tkachuk, Lindholm, Dube
Gaudreau, Monahan, Ritchie
Lucic, Backlund, Mangiapane
Bennett, Ryan, Leivo
Giordano, Andersson
Hanifin, Tanev
Valimaki, Kylington
Markstrom
Unlikely that Sutter changes a 2-0 lineup, and Jacob Markstrom worked the starter’s net at the morning skate. Brett Ritchie has unexpectedly laid claim to the RW spot on Monahan’s line, while the Flames’ third line has been a real weapon of late. Milan Lucic has three scraps in his past seven games, against Josh Anderson, Austin Watson and Nurse.
Notes and Thoughts
Everyone is missing the fans at NHL arenas, but it’s even worse when you roll into the Saddledome and there is nobody to heckle you.
“I kind of miss getting booed by the fans, and chirped by them,” said Nurse. “Usually you come into Calgary and it’s pretty hostile.”
Speaking of hostile, the Flames have been much harder to play against in their first couple of games under Sutter. It’s a pet peeve of mine how a team just stops taking care of the details under one coach, then when the new guy walks through the door they manage to do all the things the fired coach had been asking for all along.
The Flames are doing just that under Sutter, who replaced Geoff Ward.
“We’ve just been better as a team, a little bit more dialled in,” said Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson of the resurgence under Sutter. “You know what he expects from you and you have to do that work. We’ve more dialled in, and we’ve been playing a little bit more direct. We’ve tried to play quicker, and when you play quicker and faster it usually means that you don’t have to defend as much.”
Zack Kassian (broken hand) has been cleared to practice with the Oilers but he is not cleared for a game yet… Goalie Alex Stalock is approaching the end of his quarantine and will practice with the Oilers later this week.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
