Battle of Alberta a playoff series too close to call

The Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers are dominating the Pacific Division but which team's hot start can be projected into postseason success.

On the latest episode of Zone Time, Julian is joined by Omar, Justin and Avry to discuss the Battle of Alberta, the most impressive bounce-back seasons, and the small matter of a new jersey in Jersey.

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Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Let's just talk about the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, OK? They're supposed to be two of the best teams in the National Hockey League right now. And the Battle of Alberta, we already know how lit it can be, and there's the potential for it to be even crazier than what we've seen it in years past.

- The Edmonton Oilers obviously with two Hart Trophy candidates in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, you can debate all you want between who's actually the Hart Trophy candidate, who's most deserving right now. I don't really feel you can pick a loser between those two. They're trying to figure out the goaltending, but they're still in a really good spot right now the talent that they have.

- And then you have the Calgary Flames who are led by Darryl Sutter. And everyone groaned about the fact that Darryl Sutter is going to be behind the bench and, lo and behold, the defense is good, the goaltending has been good, to this point they've had seven shutouts-- seven shutouts! That's insane for the Calgary Flames. It leads us to this-- who is the best team in Alberta right now? And I'll even extend it to this next question-- in a seven game series in the postseason, who are you picking, and why? Omar, you're thinking about it, I'm going to start with you.

- Yeah, um-- I think first what I need to do is, I need to apologize to Leon Draisaitl. Um--

[LAUGHTER]

- Draisaitl has had a disgusting year--

- Apologize--

- He's had a disgusting--

- Apologize--

- --year. Cause, like, then I have Draisaitl one-- one of my fantasy teams, and this guy is just giving me like goals left and right and-- so I'll give him credit-- the credit there.

- Um-- But I think the interesting thing, right, is that if you're looking on paper who's better between the Oilers and-- and the Flames, it's hard not to say the team that has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on it isn't the better team just because those two in particular are disgusting.

- Now when it comes to like looking at a playoff series, I think you can argue that Calgary is playing a more reliable style of game right now. Julian, you brought up in the number of shutouts that they've had, and yes, you know, the goaltending has been amazing. I want to say Markstrom has it at 942 save percentage right now, but just the team itself is actually playing a more reserved style, and actually I looked at the numbers before we started recording. They actually allow a lot fewer-- a few regular scoring chances and high danger scoring chances as well relative to the Oilers.

- And I think when it comes to the playoffs-- when it comes to playing a more reserved style, I have to give, yo, a nod to the Flames in that sense. Especially for the sense where you have a coach like Darryl Sutter who knows how to win in the playoffs, and I know we-- it's been a while since his days with the Kings. But if right now the playoffs start-- the playoffs start, I think I'd have to give it-- uh, give it to the Calgary Flames.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: All right, who wants to go next?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: All right, I'll go next. And first of all, I'm glad to see you Omar eating some crow! I'm glad to see you eating--

- [LAUGHTER]

- Some crow up on Draisaitl. Yes.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What is that? Wait, wait, wait. What did you just show on--

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: That's my seven iron for the golf course.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: That's your what? What is that? No, you hav-- for the people listening on the podcast-- by the way subscribe to the podcast-- [INAUDIBLE] If you please, describe what the heck that was? What did you just wave at us?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: I told you, Julian, it's my 7 iron, look!

- Oh my God.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: OK, so OK.

- I thought it was a sword.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I thought it was something completely different, bruh. I thought was--

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: What's on your mind?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I don't know what that was bruh. I don't know why you have a random golf club just swinging around where you're sitting at but by all means, just go ahead and finish your point.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: OK. My point is that--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What the hell was that?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: My point is that, I do-- I will give the edge Edmonton in a seven game series. I do think that you're almost right though. The Flames don't allow very many high danger chances, but I think the Oilers, like they always do, will find a way to outscore their problems. They've done so far, even though this team has Darnell Nurse out with a broken finger, even though Mike Smith is gone, even though the goalie tandem right now is Koskinen and Stuart Skinner, who put up a great run so far. I think we'll find a way to address core problems in a seven game series against the Calgary Flames, somehow.

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: OK, I don't have a prop, but I'll try to make my point anyway. I mean, I think both teams are riding what would be considered unsustainable, right?

- Yeah.

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: You know, you've got Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, 150 point projections. And, you know, on the other side, you've got like a 960 save percentage at even strength for the Calgary Flames. Now if you look at both of them, which is more unsustainable? Well, I actually think Leon and Connor could probably sustain 150 point bases, but I know damn well that the Calgary Flames are not going to be performing at 960 their goaltenders throughout the entire season.

- So, I do believe that the Edmonton Oilers are more real in the context of a regular season. But if the question is playoffs, I think that makes it more interesting. And I think it's actually perfect because talking about John Tortorella and Connor McDavid may be changing his game and all that. Well, if Calgary Flames are setting themselves up as the perfect foil for a team like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the Edmonton Oilers, who depend on outscoring their problems, as Avery mentioned. So I think that sort of juxtaposition is very interesting.

- But if I'm picking a team, picking a team that I want to cheer for, that I think is going to win more games, that I actually do think would win a playoff series, I think it's the Oilers. Because they're not doing anything unsustainable right now, maybe at all, because they're superstars are that good, and they're covering up for the fact that their goaltending is not ideal right now with Mike Smith out, and Darnell Nurse's missing time. I think they are more real just within the first segment of this season for that reason.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: The other thing I want to add too is, just like, the way that the Flames are playing, like right now, we're noticing that, like, grinding style is there. To play that in a postseason where you're going through the adrenaline of a series by series, and you know going up against, like, up to four different teams it's one thing. To go through that in an 82 game schedule, like, I'm sure you're going to get tired and bogged down at some point. The start that they had might be very different at a middle part of the year. Already guys like, Elias Lindholm, who had an amazing start to the year aren't necessarily scoring at the same rates that they were at the beginning of this year.

- So, we're already starting to see that some of the stuff that was pretty wild to see for the Flames at the start, it's starting to taper off just a little bit, but not so bad to the point that they're going to fall off of-- of wherever spot that they're at in the Pacific Division. I hate the fact that I have to pick the Flames in a seven game series over the Edmonton Oilers because I have seen it so many times before that the team that grinds the opponent down defensively, and does everything they can to lock off the best possible town on the other team, has proven to win in the end. You can go to Homer and ask how the first round series went for the Leafs last year. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, they had nothing to--

- How, how did that even happen? How did that even happen?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What?

- How did that even happen?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What? What? Huh? That's-- It's literally what happened.

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: I mean, when I saw the run down, I knew it was going to that at some point.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Come on--

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: You just knew.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: You can't be a-- don't be a dunce, my guy, you knew that this was going to come up. You knew what it was when you signed up.

- The Montreal Canadiens played a style that bogged down the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they had to rely on secondary scoring to get them out there. If the Edmonton Oilers are in a situation when they go up against the Calgary Flames and they find a way to shut down both Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who is going to have to step up? You're going have to lean on guys like, Kailer Yamamoto, to get some extra protection in. How much is Derek Ryan going to be able to contribute from the third line, and other some of the younger guys on this team. Not to say they are void of talent on the Edmonton Oilers, there-- they could easily find a way.

- And hey, we talked about this on the Yahoo Sports Hockey Podcast on over the weekend, Justin, this trade deadline coming up for them. So integral for them to get pieces that will help them through to get to the playoffs and get to that trophy that is so desired in Edmonton. One of those pieces they might have to fetch-- go out and fetch is another secondary scoring option that can help offload some of the responsibility that could be thrust upon Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

- The Flames, I think, they might have what it takes to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the series only because they're following a blueprint that so many other teams, including Darryl Sutter's LA Kings, have done before. And I hate it, because I want to see an offensive team outscore its problems, and be dominant in the playoffs, and win games like 7-5, who cares. I want that, I don't want this defense stuff. Like that's-- that's boring, to a certain extent.

- And honestly, like--

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: --You didn't mention, Julian-- You didn't say, um, scoring. I want to mention they are getting production from Jesse Puljujarvi and Jack Hyman. He was the beginning of--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Uh, yes.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: --a major way. Those two bits coming up in major ways. And Jack Hyman, like, when he gets to the net, on the Oilers part, when Hyman gets to the net, it is near impossible to get him away from the net. He has scored so many of his goals within five feet so far this year. That contract [INAUDIBLE] really good right now, that feels great right now in the beginning of it.

- Yeah, let's-- let's not rub it in too much.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Why not? Why are just go there?

[LAUGHING]

- Actually I kind of want to-- oh my god. But I kind of want to go back to something that Justin said about sustainability, and like, there's some aspects of like what we're seeing in Calgary that, yeah, it definitely isn't sustainable. Like, Andrew Mangiapane is-- is what shoots-- scoring at like what, 30%? Like, there's-- there's no way that keeps up. There's no way that keeps happening.

- And at the same time, you also have like other aspects of the team, and when you look at the Oilers, like, it's McDavid, it's Draisaitl, yes, you know, Puljujarvi and Hyman have been pitching in. But for the most part, you know, to Julian's point, they are kind of relying on the stars to an extent, and as, Avery, you brought up, you know, they can outscore their problems.

Whereas for when you look at Calgary again, aside from the 33% shooting percentage, you know, the scoring is a little more spread out a little bit where I think if there are those moments where, you know, uh, a particular player kind of gets like honed in, or a focus on, I think they do kind of have the depth or at least signs of the depth to be able to outwork that.

- Now that's right now, I think down the line, I think Edmonton will actually have a lot more pieces that can kind of score throughout. Again, I've been a big fan of Warren Vogel and what he's been able to bring to the, um, the Oilers, um, forward group so far. But I do think it'll be interesting to see at the deadline, uh, which between the two end up adding some type of talk to top six winger, or middle six winger. That can contribute offensively when, you know, they have those moments where McDavid and Draisaitl are being contained, because I think that's going to be the big difference.

- And especially if you're thinking about a series between the Oilers and the Flames where one team off-- seems off-- you know, a lot more comfortable, you know, shutting things down and kind of getting into a more defensive structure style. I think it'll be more important maybe for Edmonton to add that extra piece, such that, you know on a rainy day, if McDavid or Draisaitl are being contained, that they still have options that can contribute offensively.

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: Just lastly on the topic of sustainability, I do have to give the Calgary Flames credit because everything, except the save percentage, has been impressive and sustainable when you look at the results. Like if we're talking about, you know, scoring chance share, shot share, everything else, it's like 55%. That's really good stuff, and the type of number that would predict that they're going to have, you know, success moving forward. Perhaps not to the extent that they've had, but their underlying numbers are very, very good and everything, with the exception of that save percentage, is pretty sustainable and rock solid. So, you have to give them credit.