The Last Battle Of Alberta Game Was Over A Year Ago
from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,
As a sport, we have grown past bare-knuckle fighting, head shots and most forms of hockey violence. Today’s referees are instructed to call penalties for love taps that Gordie Howe would have laughed at.
Goalie fights? Seriously? It’s 2021 — what kind of Philistine requires a goalie fight to enjoy a hockey game?
Well, to be honest, more people than you might think.
“It’s old-time hockey,” said Tyson Barrie, who is ready to break his Battle of Alberta maiden this Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. “You don’t want to see your ‘tendy squaring up at centre every game, but if it has to happen, it’s got to happen. It went down last year and we’ll see what carries over into this year.”
The last time these two teams met was Feb. 1, 2020, an 8-3 Oilers win at the Saddledome where all hell broke loose. They were all lined up for a playoff series, the first playoff Battle since 1991, and COVID-19 cruelly robbed us of that.
On Saturday, the Flames and Oilers will meet for the first of 10 times this season. There are so many forgettable hockey games played in a given season, so many no-hitters, it speaks volumes that there isn’t a single player who can’t remember the role they played in a game that took place over a year ago.
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