Oilers calm, confident ahead of 'another level' Battle of Alberta
While many hockey fans in Edmonton were glued to the Calgary Flames Game 7 Sunday night, some Oilers players slept through it.
"I tried not to care. Honestly, I didn't even watch it. I just checked the score this morning when I woke up," forward Derek Ryan told reporters after a skate on Monday.
"I actually fell asleep around 9 p.m. last night, so I missed a bunch of it, but woke up in time for overtime," goalie Mike Smith said.
Calgary's 3-2 overtime win against the Dallas Stars means the Oilers and Flames will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 1991, reigniting a version of the Battle of Alberta not seen in decades.
Ryan played for Calgary last season. While he slept soundly Sunday night, he understands how big this matchup is for hockey fans in "the Wild Rose province."
"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," he said.
Defenceman Brett Kulak grew up in Stony Plain and was drafted by the Flames. He's excited to be wearing blue and orange now after he was traded from Montreal late in the season.
"Edmonton is my home. This is where my family is and this is where I grew up and this was my team growing up. Edmonton was my team so I carry a lot of pride playing for the Oilers," Kulak said.
"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."
Ryan said both Alberta cities are great to play in, and while he expects the intensity to ramp up, he thinks the "hatred" that some talk about between players on both sides is overblown.
"I think the games themselves, with the tenacity and the vibes in the rink and everything, builds up that dislike. But I think at the end of the day we respect each other and we don't hate the guys over there, at least I don't," Ryan said.
Smith echoed those thoughts. He also played in Calgary before signing in Edmonton. The 40-year-old goalie is confident in his team, after the Oilers played a dominating Game 7 on Saturday, defeating the L.A. Kings 2-0.
"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, adding that journalists make more of the matchup than the players do.
"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 Oilers skated Monday without several players including captain Connor McDavid and sniper Leon Draisaitl, who finished the L.A. series with an obvious leg injury.
Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said some players were held off the ice and instead had meetings. Draisaitl is "very good," Woodcroft said, but he wouldn't confirm if he'll play Game 1.
The series starts Wednesday night in Calgary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.