Connor McDavid Leads Red-Hot Oilers Into Battle of Alberta

The Battle of Alberta returns to Rogers Place on Dec. 23 for the first time since opening night. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are rolling, and they'll look to extend their strong play against a Calgary Flames team they've dominated in recent years.

It's been 76 days since these provincial rivals last met on October 8, when the Flames erased a three-goal deficit to win 4-3 in a shootout. Leon Draisaitl scored his 400th career goal in that game. Still, Calgary rallied behind goals from Matvei Gridin, Connor Zary, and Blake Coleman to force overtime.

That allowed Nazem Kadri to win it for the Flames in the eighth round of the shootout. But since then, the Oilers have been a different animal altogether. While McDavid’s dominance is enough to intimidate Calgary, Edmonton also has the psychological edge heading into the contest.

Oilers Own Recent Meetings

McDavid is on an absolute tear. His 10-game point streak includes 26 points with 12 goals and 14 assists, overtaking Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL scoring lead with 62 points in 37 games.

He's scored in five straight games and earned NHL First Star honors for the second consecutive week after posting 10 points over a four-game stretch. The captain is dragging the Oilers up the standings through sheer force of will. But the rest of the Oilers are also standing on business.

Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid & the #Oilers look to head into the holiday break with a win over Calgary. We've got your game notes, presented by @dirtylaundryvin 🍷📝 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/irGhKXPnpW
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 23, 2025

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has found his groove against the Flames throughout his career. His 19 goals, 30 assists, and 49 points against Calgary are his most against any opponent. He recorded two power-play goals and an assist against Vegas on Sunday, becoming the fourth Oiler to reach 30 points this season.

Draisaitl, meanwhile, hasn't scored in Edmonton's last eight games, but he's still producing at an elite level with 15 assists during that stretch. He added two more helpers against the Golden Knights to extend his point streak to four games with nine assists.

Zach Hyman continues his hot play since returning from injury, posting 12 points in his last 10 games, including eight goals. He's near a point-per-game pace with 16 points in 18 games since coming back. Jack Roslovic has also been activated from the IR, according to reports, giving the team its full offensive potential back.

Dec 21, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers Evan Bouchard (2) with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97), Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) and Oilers defenseman (14) Mattias Ekholm celebrate the win against the Vegas Golden Knights with Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram (39) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images | Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Oilers Trending Up

Edmonton has gone 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and sits tied for second place in the Pacific Division with an 18-13-6 record. They just finished a grueling stretch of six games in nine days with a 6-2-0 record and are hitting their stride at the right time.

Calgary enters Tuesday five points back of the second Wild Card spot with a 15-17-4 record after beating the Golden Knights 6-3 on Saturday. The stage is set for another chapter in the Battle of Alberta.

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