There’s nothing like a classic provincial rivalry to measure early-season performance. However, the first Battle of Alberta of this NHL season was far from positive for the Edmonton Oilers.
They lost 4-1 to the Calgary Flames on October 13, starting the season 0-3 for the first time since 2015. To make matters worse, their southern rivals soared to a 3-0 record with that victory. Since then, both teams have evened out, hovering around the .500 mark with just two points separating them as they sit in fourth and fifth place in the Pacific Division standings ahead of their rematch on Sunday at Scotiabank Saddledome. Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin commented after the morning skate, “I think we’ve definitely improved and developed good habits since our last game. We’ve been building and working hard.”
At that time, Podkolzin was in the bottom six, still looking for his first point after being traded from the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round draft pick on August 18. He has since become a key player on the Oilers’ second line alongside Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson. However, with captain Connor McDavid sidelined with an ankle injury, this line has effectively turned into the top line for the next few weeks. “It’s a great opportunity for me to play with a player like that,” Podkolzin said. “I’m just trying to learn something new every day and enjoy the experience.”
Despite the lineup changes, Podkolzin remains focused on his on-ice priorities. “I just aim to be speedy and keep my legs moving,” he said. “I strive to make the right and quick decisions while continuing to play hard. That’s crucial for the entire team; we need to keep playing hard.”
Although Podkolzin tallied a couple of assists in the games against Calgary, he truly made an impression on his teammates when he stepped up physically. In a 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators last week, he dropped his gloves and fought Jeremy Lauzon, landing a punch that sent the larger player to the locker room with a cut. Podkolzin is also embracing the new rivalry he’s entered by moving to Alberta. “I enjoy games like that against the Flames,” he remarked. “We just need to focus on our team and how we approach each opponent, regardless of who it is.
We need to keep building momentum and developing good habits as we move into the second month of the season.” As for the Oilers, they’re looking to the future rather than dwelling on their previous encounter with Calgary. “That game was an eye-opener for us,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We started well, but they took control as the game progressed and were clearly the better team. There was frustration from our three-game losing streak, and we began to chase the game. While we’ve found some success, I think it’s an overstatement to say we’ve fully found our game; there’s still work to do, and tonight will be a significant test for us.”
While the Battle of Alberta is a highlight for fans, it will take more than a couple of games against the Flames for the Oilers to establish their identity for this season, especially coming off the disappointment of losing Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. “Our 5-on-5 play is improving, but our special teams are not nearly at the level we saw last year during the postseason,” Knoblauch explained. “Both our power play and penalty kill have been lacking. Special teams play a crucial role in games.” Currently, the Oilers’ penalty kill is last at 62.5 percent and their power play is 28th at 13.3 percent— a stark contrast to their performance in last year’s playoffs.
“Often, games are decided by one goal, typically a power-play goal,” Knoblauch noted. “Right now, we need to take advantage of those opportunities, especially without our captain.”
Leave a Reply