Tag: NHL

Oilers Down Flames to Win Battle of Alberta and Advance to WCF

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl dominated the first playoff Battle of Alberta in 31 years. It was fitting Edmonton’s dynamic duo combined to end it. McDavid scored off a slick Draisaitl setup at 5:03 of overtime Thursday as the Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4 to win their second-round series 4-1. “Hard to put into…


Defending Stanley Cup Champion Lightning Back in East Finals

TAMPA, Fla.—Jon Cooper had every reason to be confident the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning could keep their bid for a three-peat alive. “Our story is not finished being written,” the coach said earlier this month with his team on the brink of elimination in the first round against the Toronto Maple…


‘Hockey Is Back’: Flames vs Oilers Battle Fires Up Alberta Fans

After a long hibernation, the Battle of Alberta has returned to the NHL playoffs, prompting fond memories of the glory days of hockey, and a sign they might have returned. The last time the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers vied for the Stanley Cup was three decades ago. Moshe Lander, a resident of Edmonton and…


NHL Roundup: Nikita Kucherov, Lightning Push Panthers to Brink

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists to help the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the visiting Florida Panthers 5–1 in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday and move within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for a third straight season. Steven Stamkos scored two goals for Tampa Bay,…


Oilers Rally Past Flames 5-3 in Game 2 to Even Series

CALGARY, Alberta—The Edmonton Oilers got off to another slow start. This time, they bounced back quickly. Zach Hyman scored the go-ahead short-handed goal midway through the third period and the Oilers rallied to beat the Calgary Flames 5–3 on Friday night, evening the second-round series at one game apiece. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid had a…


Colton Scores Late, Lightning Beat Panthers 2–1 in Game 2

SUNRISE, Fla.—Ross Colton scored with 3.8 seconds remaining, giving the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning a 2–1 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night. The stunning finish put the Lightning up 2–0 in the best-of-seven series that heads to Tampa for Game 3 on Sunday. The game…


Tkachuk Scores 3, Flames Beat Oilers 9–6 in Game 1

CALGARY, Alberta—Matthew Tkachuk had his first career playoff hat trick and the Calgary Flames beat the Edmonton Oilers 9–6 Wednesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series. Blake Coleman scored twice for the Flames. Rasmus Andersson and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and two assists, and Elias Lindholm and Brett Ritchie also scored….


Gaudreau’s OT Goal Gives Flames 3–2 Win Over Stars in Game 7

CALGARY, Alberta—Johnny Gaudreau saw the puck bouncing his way, so he raced over, slapped it toward the net—and sent the Calgary Flames to a Game 7 victory. Gaudreau scored 15:09 into overtime to lift Calgary past the Dallas Stars 3–2 on Sunday night, giving the Flames just their second playoff series win in the last…


Calgary and Edmonton City Councils Make Friendly Wager on NHL Playoffs

The Battle of Alberta has officially started with a friendly hockey wager between the city councils in Calgary and Edmonton, and some elite Canadian soccer players with ties to both cities have also made bets. The Calgary Flames play the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s Western Conference semifinal in their first post-season matchup since 1991….


NHL Roundup: Carter Verhaeghe Scores in OT as Panthers Advance

Carter Verhaeghe’s goal 2:46 into overtime gave the Florida Panthers a series-clinching 4–3 victory over the host Washington Capitals in Game 6 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. Coming off a franchise-record and NHL-high 122 points in the regular season, Florida won its first postseason series since the 1996 Eastern Conference finals, the longest…