Pre-Game: Game #30 Oilers vs. Flames

Big win for the Oilers last night. Not sure its enough to keep the boat from sinking but at least it gets some water out of the boat. I'm slowly coming around on Sam Gagner's game. I still think his spot on the roster will go to a player that can score and add some muscle, but for now Sam Gagner is doing the right thing and gaining more confidence with it over the last few games. To me he kind of a stopgap until something bigger rolls around, to others, they still see him as a mainstay of the Oilers, eventually time will tell. Good to see Nikolai Khabibulin play a complete game, its been awhile. The centers played a more responsible game, which is the backbone of any team and allows the whole team to go from defense to offense back to defense over and over. The quicker a team is able to do it, the better that team is likely to be. Not sure what to expect by this game from the Oilers. History tells us they are likely to get drubbed, but they have some players that are starting to "find themselves". The key for the Oilers tonight will be to score first and keep the Flames out of their heads. They are entitled to this game just as much as the Flames are. Like Tom Renney said, winning hurts. The Flames have won their last two and beat the Oilers last Saturday 5-3 at Rexall Place. The Oilers are going to need the same fire in the belly that they had against the Avalanche on Friday night.

Forwards Oilers
- RNH and Eberle have a new sidekick in Gagner. We'll see if they can keep pace.
Defense Oilers
- Jeff Petry is starting to stabilize the top 4 for the Oilers. Just needs to find consistancy in his game.
Goaltending Flames
- Kiprusoff has the Oilers number. It's Dubnyk's turn to get the start but something tells me Khabibulin may go back to back.
Special Teams Oilers
- Oilers power play is now in the top 3, thanks to the 2 power play goals last night.
Coaching Flames
- Does Tom Renney have an answer if the Oilers' team breaks during the game? Still needs to find his checking line, I will say he's real close.
Intangibles Flames
- Oilers find themselves playing in a back to back after playing consecutive teams on back to backs.

Oilers:
Gagner-NugentHopkins-Eberle
Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky
Eager-Belanger-Jones
Paajarvi-Lander-Petrell

Smid-Gilbert
Whitney-Petry
Peckham-Teubert

Khabibulin
Dubnyk

Flames:
Glencross-Jokinen-Iginla
Tanguay-Morrison-Bourque
Comeau-Backlund-Stempniak
Kostopolous-Stajan-Jackman

Bouwmeester-Butler
Smith-Hannan
Brodie-Piskula

Kiprusoff
Irving

Game Time - @ Calgary on CBC 8 PM MT.