The 2023 Heritage Classic will occur on Sunday, October 29, 2023. This year’s game will be played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, and feature the Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The Heritage Classic is one of the marquee events of the NHL regular season and Canada’s only outdoor game. This year, it also gives two struggling rivals a chance to use this event to build some momentum and get their seasons’ on track.
So far, the 2023-24 NHL season has not been kind to either the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames. Neither team is off to the start they hoped for. Both teams head into this matchup on multi-game losing streaks and are struggling to find wins early.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers came into this year with the expectation of being a Stanley Cup Contender. Through their first seven games, however, they are just 1-5-1 with a -13 goal differential. Superstar forward Connor McDavid has missed the last two games with an injury, and the Oilers have lost both. The latest reports are that McDavid is back skating a could be in the lineup Sunday night. It appears he will be a game-time decision.
Defense and goaltending have been the biggest problem for Edmonton. They have surrendered a league-worst 4.29 goals against per game this season. Their usually dynamic offense has not been up to par either, scoring just 2.43 goals per game, which is 26th in the NHL. There’s still a ton of hockey to be played, but the Oilers have a lot to fix if they’re going to be the contender they expected to be this season.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames were looking to bounce back in 2023-24 after a horrible 2022-23. They changed coaches and the general manager but brought back most of the core roster to give this group another shot. Unfortunately for the Flames, this group is not taking advantage of their second chance.
The Flames are 2-5-1 through their first eight games and have a -12 goal differential. Their offense has been stagnant, scoring just 2.13 goals per game, which is 29th in the league. They also can’t keep the puck out of their net, giving up 3.50 goals against per game. The Flames need to get it together quickly if they’re going to be a playoff team once again. If they can’t get their act together soon, this season is likely going to be a repeat of last.
A Big Opportunity
This weekend’s game is a huge opportunity for one of these teams to jumpstart their season and gain some positive momentum. This isn’t just another regular season game. This is a huge event, played outdoors and a rivalry matchup. Both of these teams should be desperate for the win and play like it on the ice. There’s always a lot of juice when the Oilers and Flames play each other, and even more so when it’s such a marquee event. Now you add in how badly both of these teams need a win, and you’ve got the recipe for an exceptional and fierce battle.
It should be a phenomenal game on Sunday, and for the team that wins, a chance to get back on track early this season. The winner will not only gain a much-needed two points but some valuable momentum moving forward as well. It will be up to that team to actually build off the win, but the potential is undoubtedly there. Sunday’s Heritage Classic could be a major turning point for one of these teams in 2023-24.
