'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.