5 Things - Flames vs. Oilers

1. Battle Stations

One game left before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics.

And what a capper for the Flames, who wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule on Scotiabank Saddledome ice with a Battle of Alberta against the Oilers. SECURE TICKETS

Monday's contest against the Maple Leafs was noisy - raucous, even - and this evening's matchup promises more of the same as Calgary looks to go into the break on a winning note.

And that 4-2 setback against Toronto nearly took a similar turn to their season-opener against Edmonton. An early three-goal deficit, followed by a furious comeback only this time, the third-period chances the Flames were able to generate just couldn't fall in.

"We have a lot of guys that battle hard in this room, we have really good leaders that lead the way," forward Joel Farabee said post-game. "There’s no quit, ever, in this locker room. I’ve always appreciated that since I’ve come here."

It was Farabee's line - with Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary - that helped get the offence going, too, with a pair of second-period markers Monday. Kadri notched his 10th of the year and played with pace and purpose against the club that drafted him, the type of performance his Head Coach hopes to see replicated in another fixture not short on intensity.

"There’s a point here, a point there, now there’s a two-point night," Ryan Huska said of Kadri's recent run of form. "So when he’s around the puck a little bit more often, when things start to go for him, there is a tendency for more to come.

"So that’s our belief, and that’s our hope that that’ll continue to happen for us."

A win tonight, and the Flames can hit the break on a high note.

A victory this evening, too, and they'll secure a season series win against those Blue and Orange fellas from up the QEII, too.

2. Know Your Enemy

Edmonton comes to town in a similar situation to the Flames, looking to avenge a home-ice loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Except last night at Rogers Place, it was a late surge by the Maple Leafs that proved decisive, as Toronto struck three times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win.

Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen counted the Oilers markers, while Connor Ingram stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced between the pipes.

Despite that, Edmonton will start the day tied with the Vegas Golden Knights atop the Pacific Division, and they've got the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to thank; the Olympian duo sit first and fifth, respectively, among the League's top point-getters, and McDavid also leads the circuit with 61 assists.

The key for the Flames: stay out of the penalty box. Edmonton boasts the NHL's top powerplay, and McDavid and Draisatil sit 1-2 among the League's best in powerplay production, too, combining for 70 points while a man (or more) up.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

This evening's game is the final Battle of Alberta on the regular season schedule, with Calgary holding a 2-1-0 record thus far in the season set.

The Flames overcame a three-goal deficit Oct. 8 in Edmonton, claiming a 4-3 shootout victory in the season-opener. Blake Coleman, Matvei Gridin and Connor Zary counted the regulation-time markers (Gridin's tally was his first in the NHL) before Nazem Kadri decided it in the eighth round of the shootout.

The two sides then played a home-and-home set on either side of the holiday break in December. The Oilers won 5-1 on home ice Dec. 23 before Calgary returned the favour with a 3-2 win Dec. 27 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Lomberg and Coleman scored that evening, while Dustin Wolf turned aside 29 of the 31 shots that came his way.

Did You Know?

The 20:05 of ice-time logged by Zayne Parekh Monday versus Toronto was a season-high at the NHL level for the 19-year-old. The game marked his first NHL action since Nov. 7.

Parekh finished the contest 26 seconds shy of his career-high single-game NHL ice-time of 20:31, which he posted in his NHL debut Apr. 17, 2025 at Los Angeles.

4. Marty In Milan

If there's anyone that wants to go into the Olympic break with a bang, it's Martin Pospisil.

But the Slovak forward has his sights set on his upcoming European business trip, too. Pospisil will fly to Milan Thursday ahead of the 2026 Winter Games, where he'll proudly carry the Flames flag while representing his native country of Slovakia as they seek a second straight Olympic medal, after winning bronze in Beijing four years ago.

Pospisil was spotted breaking in brand-new, blue Slovak gloves at the end of Tuesday's practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome, with just over a week to go until his side's tournament opener.

"I'm super excited, it's the first time (at the Olympics), so you don't really know what to expect," Pospisil shared Tuesday. "It's always nice to represent your country and you know, there's gonna be the best players (there). It's gonna be a good challenge.

"I'm looking forward. Just win the game tomorrow, and just prepare and get ready for the Olympics."

The centreman figures to draw in down the middle in Milan - stating Tuesday that he anticipates playing centre at the Games - and he's shown well in Slovak colours recently, too. Pospisil had three assists in three games last summer in an Olympic qualifying tournament, as well as three goals and seven points at the World Championships in 2024.

Pospisil is one of only four NHL forwards on the Slovak roster - joining Montreal's Juraj Slafkovsky, St. Louis' Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavol Regenda of the San Jose Sharks, but he'll have a former Flames teammate with him in Milan, too, in ex-Calgary forward Adam Ruzicka.

When asked by a reporter Tuesday which nation he'd be most excited to beat, Pospisil didn't skip a beat, mentioning Canada with a wide grin.

His Slovak side will begin play in Group B Feb. 11 with a matchup against Finland, before group stage contests versus host Italy and Sweden

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Joel Farabee

Farabee is on a nice run of late, with four points in his last four games and goals in back-to-back contests. His tally Monday against Toronto was his 12th of the campaign, surpassing the 11 he scored in 2024-25 - a season he split between the Flames and Philadelphia Flyers.

Farabee also sits tied for the League lead with four short-handed goals this season, the most recent of which came Jan. 31 versus San Jose.

Oilers - Zach Hyman

He was held off the scoresheet Tuesday against Toronto, but Hyman has been hot since the holidays, scoring 12 of his 22 goals since the Oilers returned to action in late December.

He has four points over the last two Battles of Alberta, too, and sits third among Edmonton skaters with eight powerplay goals, despite missing one-third of the Oilers' 57 games to date.