'Great for all of Alberta': Flames, Oilers prepare for battle in second round
'Great for all of Alberta': Flames, Oilers prepare for battle in second round
'Great for all of Alberta': Flames, Oilers prepare for battle in second round
Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk weren't even born the last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they still understand how much the Battle of Alberta means to fans of both teams.
"I've been here for nine years and never even had a sniff at a chance to play (the Oilers) in playoffs, so it's pretty special," said Gaudreau Sunday night, moments after netting the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," Gaudreau said. "It's going to be good for the province, a lot of fun for them and for us."
The Flames and Oilers will begin their series Wednesday night at the Saddledome. It will be the first Battle of Alberta in the postseason since 1991. There have been five previous Flames-Oilers matchups in the postseason, with Edmonton winning four of the five.
"It'll be exciting, it's great for all of Alberta," said Tkachuk. "I haven't allowed myself to think too much about it yet, it's too fresh from (Sunday night's OT win)."
VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Several players wearing Edmonton's orange and blue jersey are very familiar with the provincial rivalry.
Oilers' defencemen Brett Kulak grew up in Stoney Plain, Alta., and was drafted by the Flames in 2012.
"Everyone's pumped. I've got friends, family… lots of people who are diehard Flames fans and lots of diehard Oilers fans. They're looking forward to it, and I think we all are," Kulak said Monday.
The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met in Stanley Cup Playoffs was back in 1991. Derek Ryan spent three seasons with the Flames before signing with their rivals in the provincial capital. He told journalists he fell asleep during much of last night's Flames-Stars Game 7, only to wake up in time to see Gaudreau's winner.
"It's huge. Obviously, the Battle of Alberta is another level in the regular season, and now for us as players and fans in the cities, to have that rivalry exist in the playoffs is something special," Ryan said.
Goalie Mike Smith also played in Calgary before joining the Oilers prior to the 2019-20 season. The 40-year-old netminder said he's confident in his team.
"You have friends on a lot of teams in the league now, but when it comes down to it, you're trying to win a series," Smith said.
"Whether it's Calgary or whoever it is, the job is the same. We're trying to go out there and compete for the ultimate prize."
The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was back in 1991.The Flames and Oilers each won two games against each other during the regular season.
Puck drop for Game 1 of the second round is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday.
At least six people died and 24 were wounded in a shooting at a July Fourth parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, and officers are searching for a suspect who likely fired on the festivities from a rooftop, police said Monday.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
A 41-year-old man will be charged with kidnapping and rape after an Edmonton girl who was missing for more than a week was found, Oregon City Police said.
COVID-19 cases are rising again in Canada, with the two fast-spreading Omicron sub-variants known as BA.4 and BA.5 to blame. CTVNews.ca has a guide to what you need to know about the new variants.
The federal government says it has signed a $20-billion final settlement agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic underfunding of child welfare.
More witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's devastating testimony last week against former U.S. President Donald Trump, says a member of a U.S. House committee investigating the insurrection.
The family of an Ottawa man killed in a Canada Day crash in the west end says Tom Bergeron died exactly as he lived: selflessly thinking of others before himself.
A 41-year-old man will be charged with kidnapping and rape after an Edmonton girl who was missing for more than a week was found, Oregon City Police said.
Edmonton's city council has voted unanimously to ask the province to support the creation of a hub where social workers, firefighters and police officers could work together to reduce crime.
The CAT ferry, which sails between Yarmouth, N.S., and Bar Harbour, Maine, has sold more than 20,000 tickets so far this year, that’s up from the 15,100 tickets sold as of June 7.
Over 90,000 Prince Edward Island residents will see a top-up in their bank accounts to help alleviate the pressure of record inflation rates affecting the cost of living in the province.
Researchers in Washington state are sounding the alarm over the health of the southern resident killer whale population, saying at least 13 of the orcas appear to be in poor condition.
RCMP are looking to reunite a "significant amount" of money with its rightful owner after an honest woman found a heap of cash while walking in Langford, B.C.
An 'incredibly ill-advised stunt' is being investigated by the Toronto Transit Commission after video emerged of two masked men carrying Canadian flags while surfing on top of a train.
More than dozen fire trucks from municipalities across Montreal's South Shore are battling a major fire at an industrial produce building in the Monteregie on Monday morning.
A few days ahead of the Montreal Canadiens first overall draft pick, general manager Kent Hughes says there are still three candidates in the running for the top spot.
The protests staged in Ottawa over the weekend that caused only minimal disruptions were a far cry from the 'Freedom Convoy' demonstrations that occupied downtown streets for three weeks earlier this year.
A Puslinch, Ont. woman says her driveway will need to be repaved less than month after she came home to find strangers working on it without her prior consent.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
Rick Bowness doesn't mind being the second choice. The new Winnipeg Jets head coach took part in his first press conference Monday, a little more than a week after first target Barry Trotz declined the team's offer because the veteran wanted to spend more time with his family.
At least six people died and 24 were wounded in a shooting at a July Fourth parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, and officers are searching for a suspect who likely fired on the festivities from a rooftop, police said Monday.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met in Stanley Cup Playoffs was back in 1991. Derek Ryan spent three seasons with the Flames before signing with their rivals in the provincial capital. He told journalists he fell asleep during much of last night's Flames-Stars Game 7, only to wake up in time to see Gaudreau's winner.
The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers met during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was back in 1991.The Flames and Oilers each won two games against each other during the regular season.
