miaowang123: we were turning it over too much i

miaowang123

Prior to the start of this season, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers had very different expectations. Geronimo Allison Super Bowl Jersey . The Oilers fan base was expecting the teams first playoff berth since the 2005-2006 season while the Flames were entering a franchise rebuild after trading cornerstone Jarome Iginla at the trade deadline the previous season and losing long-time starting goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to retirement. On Saturday night, the Flames skated to an 8-1 romp over the Oilers in Edmonton, leaving many to wonder which team was further ahead in the race for the playoffs next season. Not surprisingly, the Flames currently sit well outside of a playoff spot with most fans showing the patience and support for the rebuild that president of hockey operations and interim general manager Brian Burke has asked for. The Oilers, on the other hand, now sit last in the Western Conference, six points behind the Flames and mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with a fan base fed up with a fifth straight losing season. President of hockey operations Kevin Lowe pronounced the team to be "poised for greatness" last season, yet that greatness remains to be seen. With both team already looking toward next season, the question in the Battle of Alberta is which team will make the playoffs first: the Flames or the Oilers? On paper, it would appear the advantage is with the Oilers. The team has three former first-overall draft picks on their roster and two other first-round picks in Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle. Their goaltending tandem is set for next season with Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth and the team has their 2013 first-round pick, Darnell Nurse, developing in the OHL. However, the Oilers recent struggles has surrounded the team with question marks, including entertaining thoughts of trading one of the young stars to meet another need. The Flames appear to be on a much steadier course, trusting in Burke to put together a team that will enter the playoffs in the near future. Burkes history with rebuilding the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs inspires confidence that, with time, the team will reach the playoffs. Burke also put the finishing touches on the Anaheim Ducks that propelled them to a Stanley Cup. "I think I add a value. Ive been able to fix just about every team Ive worked for, sometimes quicker than others." Burke said when he was introduced as a member of Flames organization. Burke also inspired confidence with his 2013 first-round draft pick Sean Monahan. Monahan is second on the Flames in goals this season with 19 and fifth on the team in total points with 31. Both the Oilers and Flames will likely be in the draft lottery this season with a chance to select first overall, a disappointment for Edmonton and an expectation for Calgary. "Im an impatient guy. We have to do some bold things to move this team forward in a rapid fashion. We have to a better job arming our coaches and our core players with a group to get us to a highly-competitive level," Craig MacTavish said when he was introduced was the Oilers general manager last season. Moving forward, the Battle of Alberta may be turning into a race to see which team will make the playoffs first. Will the Flames steady rebuild pay off with a post-season entrance before the Oilers find a solution to their recent woes? Or will the Oilers embarrassment of young talent come together and deliver the playoff appearance fans are growing restless for? So, which team will make the playoffs first: the Oilers or Flames? As always, its Your! Call. JK Scott Super Bowl Jersey .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow. ZaDarius Smith Super Bowl Jersey .C. - Alberta prop Andrew Tiedemann will captain Canada against Uruguay on Friday, the opening day of competition at the IRB Americas Rugby Championship.(SportsNetwork.com) - The free-falling Vancouver Canucks will try to halt a four-game slide when they welcome the Calgary Flames for Saturdays clash at Rogers Arena. This evenings game also marks the first meeting between these clubs since their infamous encounter in Vancouver on Jan. 18. The Canucks recorded a 3-2 shootout win that night, but the game is best remembered for the antics of Vancouver head coach John Tortorella, who tried to break into the opposing teams locker room to start an altercation with Flames coach Bob Hartley during the first intermission. Tortorella was angered by Hartleys decision to start the game with his fourth line. The heated contest saw 150 penalty minutes assessed to both sides by the time the game was only 4 1/2 minutes old, owing to a second minor scrum a short time later. The meltdown cost Tortorella dearly, as he was forced to serve a 15-day suspension without pay. Despite the unpleasantness surrounding the last meeting, Vancouver should be happy to face the Flames on Saturday. Vancouver has taken five straight and seven of the last eight games in this series overall and Calgary also has lost five in a row in B.C. The Canucks have fallen on hard times over the last few months, losing 11 of 12 and 20 of their last 25 games. The clubs current 0-3-1 slide is the clubs third losing streak of four or more games since the start of the 2014 calendar year. In spite of the protracted funk, Vancouver still finds itself just four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver suffered a rough loss in its last appearance, getting slammed 6-1 in Dallas on Thursday. Tyler Seguin fueled the rout for the Stars, recording a hat trick and two assists. Zac alpe supplied Vancouvers lone score and Eddie Lack conceded five goals on 17 shots. Lack is the clubs No. 1 option in net since the club dealt Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday and the rookie could get another start on Saturday. "I think were all kind of disappointed with the way it has been here lately, and I know we are not out of a playoff spot," Lack said. Aaron Jones Super Bowl Jersey. "We just have to battle through it. Weve got to refocus and come back on Saturday." Jacob Markstrom, who was one of the players acquired in the trade that sent Luongo to the Panthers, made his Vancouver debut at the start of the third and gave up one goal on five shots. Shawn Matthias, another player gained in the Luongo trade, failed to register a point in his first game with the Canucks, but he did fire seven shots on net. Canucks forward Zack Kassian was given a boarding major and a game misconduct for his hit on Dallas defenseman Brenden illon in the loss. On Friday, Kassian was handed a three-game suspension and hell serve the first part of that ban on Saturday. The Canucks will try to get something positive going while playing their next two games on home ice. Vancouver is 15-10-6 as the host this season and will cap a brief two-game stay at Rogers Arena when it welcomes the New York Islanders on Monday. The Flames, who are 13 points out of a playoff spot, were able to win a second straight game on Friday night, rallying to beat the visiting New York Islanders by a 4-3 score. Joe Colborne scored twice in a three-goal third-period burst to help Calgary down the Islanders at the Saddledome. Sean Monahan also tallied during the rally, while Markus Granlund added a first-period short-handed goal for the Flames, winners in three of four and nine of their last 13 games. Joni Ortio came up with 23 saves for the win. "As a team we were turning it over too much in the first two periods," said Calgary forward Mark Giordano. "But then we rallied in the third and it felt good to get this win." Forwards Jiri Hudler and Matt Stajan and defenseman Dennis Wideman all missed Fridays game and are questionable for Saturday. Calgary has lost of its last three road games and is just 11-16-4 as the visiting team this season. ' ' '