FANDEMONIUM!

Having played each other as often as these two, the rivalry - dare we say - lacked a little 'bite' last year.
Tonight?
Not a chance.
With only four meetings on tap between now and late April, packed barns, high stakes, and some ancillary brute on both sides of this timeless, QEII Quarrel, the 'Battle' … is back.

"Playing 10 times last year without fans, it didn't feel the same," said Milan Lucic, who's played a starring role on both sides over the years. "I think fans are what make this game great. Without the fans, there are no rivalries, there's none of that type of stuff.
"That's why I think there's more appreciation for what they bring to the game more than ever because of not having them for the last year and a half."
If there's a better way to kick off the new campaign, we don't want to hear it.
It's what we all live for.
The Flames will have to wait a bit longer to welcome the C of Red back to the Scotiabank Saddledome, but this isn't a bad consolation prize.
The Battle of Alberta brings out the best in both sides - on the bench, and in the stands. And some players, like Matthew Tkachuk, thrive when cast as the villain.
So, bring on the boos!
"The best part of the rivalry is the fans," said Head Coach Darryl Sutter. "When you think about it, there's a Flames fan, and there's an Oilers fan - unless you get closer to Saskatchewan and B.C., and you pull from the other side. But there is a line there - and we know from living in rural Alberta who and where the fans are, and that's awesome.
"I've said it 100 times - the best part is the fans and the rivalry they have with each other."

Sutter laughs when sharing the story of his neighbour across the road in Viking, Alta. The man sports an Oilers flag on his property - but is otherwise "great" - and is the definition of how this 'playful' divide strangely unites us.
That's what we have to look forward to tonight. It was way back on Feb. 1, 2020, when these two rivals last locked horns with fans in the building. Or, as TimeAndDate.com helpfully tells us - a span of 624 days. Remember that one? It was insane.

The lid could pop off tonight as the temperature rises back to pre-pandemic levels.
"Playing them 10 times last year, it's a little different than four times with a lot of fans," said Mikael Backlund. "It makes it easy to get up for and both teams are going to be fired up, so it should be a fun night."
The Flames have been off since last Friday when they closed out the preseason with a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Since then, 28 of the NHL's 32 teams have been released from the starting blocks, including the Oilers - who earned a 3-2 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
While the players admit it's been a bit strange to watch NHL games happening around them for the past five days, they've put the time to good use.
The Flames had three full practice days, as well as an off-ice workout on Friday, in preparation for tonight's lid-lifter.
Now comes the fun part: The unparralled excitement of Opening Day.
It never gets old.
"I've been looking forward to this one, more so than the last couple," Lucic said.
"It's like Christmas morning."