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(2P) Oilers at (1P) Flames
Western Conference Second Round, Game 1
9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS
The Battle of Alberta will resume when the Edmonton Oilers visit the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.
Edmonton and Calgary each advanced in seven games in the first round, the Oilers against the Los Angeles Kings and the Flames against the Dallas Stars. The two teams meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1991, with the Oilers having won four of five postseason series against the Flames.
"We have to find a way to win and it doesn't really matter who we're playing," Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. "It's fun that there's a Battle of Alberta and it's Edmonton-Calgary, and hasn't happened in a long time, and to be a part of the first one in a while is exciting. But ultimately, it's a playoff series and we've got to go about our business."
The Flames and Oilers split four games during the regular season, but Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau said he wasn't putting much stock into that.
"It's a clean slate," Gaudreau said. "We could have beat them four times, they could have beat us four times, we're both here and both starting 0-0 in the series."
[RELATED: Complete Flames vs. Oilers series coverage ]
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl didn't skate Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Coach Jay Woodcroft said any player who did not skate Wednesday was available for Game 1. Flames defenseman Christopher Tanev practiced Tuesday and Wednesday; coach Darryl Sutter said Tanev is "feeling great" after missing Game 7 of the first round with an undisclosed injury, but didn't say if he would play in Game 1.
Teams that win Game 1 are 503-232 (68.4 percent) winning a best-of-7 series, including 4-4 in the first round.
Here are 3 keys to Game 1:
Calgary is riding high after its emotional 3-2 overtime win against the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of the first round. and looks to maintain that exuberance in this series and channel it properly.
"I think you have to carry over the excitement and the energy and the emotion of it," Flames forward Milan Lucic , "but also you have to reset because you are playing a different opponent with different players, different system, in this case, almost different everything from the last opponent.
"But you do have to carry over the energy and the emotion. That's how you can get on a roll."
How healthy Draisaitl is right now is unknown, but he finished the first round well. Draisaitl logged 23:38 of ice time (second on Edmonton to McDavid's 27:23), won 9 of 19 face-offs and had the secondary assist on defenseman Cody Ceci 's game-winning goal in a 2-0 win against the Kings in Game 7 on Saturday.
"He's a horse," Oilers forward Zack Kassian said. "He's one of the leaders on our team. Plays big minutes, plays in almost every situation, he takes face-offs. He does play in every situation and you lean on those guys heavily through the playoffs and everyone has their bumps and bruises throughout the series and we're expecting even more in this series.
"The further you go, the harder it gets so, we're prepared for it. But Leon has a lot of respect in that locker room from all his teammates and coaches."
With what this series means to the province, you can bet the intensity is going to be high, and how each team channels that will be important. Specifically, Calgary would like to avoid Edmonton's power play, tied with the Colorado Avalanche for best in the NHL during the playoffs at 36.8 percent and third in the League during the regular season at 26.0 percent, behind the Toronto Maple Leafs (27.3 percent) and St. Louis Blues (27.0 percent).
"For us, being smart defensively against their top guys, you can't give them those line rushes," Gaudreau said. "And stay out of the box, for sure. That's a big one for us.
"Can't give their guys opportunities to get on the power play. You saw how dangerous they were all year long and their last series, too. If we play 5-on-5, I think we'll be all right."
Leon Draisaitl -- Connor McDavid -- Kailer Yamamoto
Josh Archibald -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Derek Ryan
Jesse Puljujarvi -- Ryan McLeod -- Zack Kassian
Evander Kane -- Zach Hyman
Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci
Duncan Keith -- Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak -- Tyson Barrie
Scratched: Philip Broberg , Devin Shore , Derick Brassard , Warren Foegele
Johnny Gaudreau -- Elias Lindholm -- Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube -- Calle Jarnkrok -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Oliver Kylington -- Christopher Tanev
Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Gudbranson
Scratched: Adam Ruzicka , Brett Ritchie , Ryan Carpenter , Connor Mackey
The Oilers and Flames each held an optional morning skate Wednesday. ... Each team could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. ... Centers could cycle through Kane and Hyman.
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