When the schedule came out over the summer, there was one game that I immediately circled on my calendar. It was the first Battle of Alberta and the time has finally come. It’s the Oilers vs the Flames. It’s the first meeting since these two teams swung a stunning offseason deal that saw Milan Lucic head south and James Neal join the Oilers. There is more than just bragging rights between the fan bases on the line tonight. There are a handful of players looking to burn their former clubs and, for the first time in what seems like forever, these two teams are battling for a playoff spot.

Right now, the Flames sit just one point back of the Oilers for the third spot in the Pacific Division and while tonight is huge,  so is the next month. Between now and February 1st, the Oilers and Flames will meet four times and considering how tight the playoff race is in the Western Conference, how the Oilers fair between in these matchups will go a long way in determining whether or not they make the playoffs.