The Oilers and Flames Face Off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, and just two Canadian teams are left in the hunt after Toronto was knocked out in the first round. Only one will move on to the Conference Finals, as Edmonton and Calgary will go head-to-head in a second round battle.

The battle to be the last Canadian team standing is on

Fans of online betting in Canada won’t want to miss this one! Three Canadian teams made it into the NHL playoffs, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto. The Maple Leafs held the higher seed and were favored in their series against Tampa Bay, but they could not get the job done, ensuring that the NHL’s longest playoff series winning drought and longest Stanley Cup victory drought will continue for at least one more season. Calgary and Edmonton on the other hand each won their own thrilling seven-game series, putting them on a collision course to meet in the Western Conference semi final round.

Their matchup ensures that one team will go home, but it also ensures that a Canadian team will be among the final four teams with a chance to bring home the Stanley Cup. The two teams have not met in the playoffs since 1991, and the historic matchup should be a good one. The Flames come in as the favorites, with the books giving them -195 of advancing to the Conference Finals.

Both teams went the full seven games in Round One

The Dallas Stars pushed the Flames to the brink in their first round matchup, forcing not only a game seven, but forcing overtime in the seventh game of the series. The Flames played by far better all around, but the incredible play of rookie goaltender Jake Oettenger kept Dallas competitive and made the series a thriller. The Flames pulled out a victory by the thinnest of margins, but it was enough to get them through the next round.

The Oilers went down 3-2 against the LA Kings, but they managed to battle back and win the final two games of the series to advance and face the Flames. Edmonton posted a shutout victory in the decisive game seven, and they rode their superstar Connor McDavid to victories in the final two games. Having an elite offensive threat and their goaltending edge gave Edmonton the victories they needed to stay in the playoffs.

Evenly matched in the regular season

The Flames are the odds-on favorite to win this series, and they boasted a seven point edge in the regular season. In spite of the Flames being perceived as the better team, the two teams split their four regular season head-to-head matchups. Edmonton’s Mike Smith gives the Oilers a potential edge in the goaltending department, and he is red hot after posting two shutouts against the Kings in round one. While the Flames have already defeated a goalie who was playing out of his mind trying to win a series single-handedly, the power of an outstanding net minder can never be overrated in the playoffs.

Regardless of how it turns out, this historic series will be exciting for Alberta hockey fans and hockey fans all over Canada – with online gambling sites keeping up with all the latest advancements in real time. The bragging rights could last for years before these two teams meet again in the playoffs. At the end of it, we will have seen some incredibly hockey and one of these teams will be in a prime position to end Canada’s 29-year Stanley Cup victory drought.