The Edmonton Oilers earned their first win against the Calgary Flames this season Saturday in Calgary during a wild 8-3 game that included a goalie fight between Edmonton netminder Mike Smith and Calgary's Cam Talbot.
But even though the Oilers won perhaps the most intense "Battle of Alberta" matchup yet, superstar Leon Draisatil still seemed bothered by an incident with Calgary goaltender David Rittich at the end of the rivalry's last meeting on Jan. 30.
Rittich won the game for the Flames when he poke-checked Draisaitl during the shootout and celebrated by emphatically tossing his stick into the air as his teammates came out to meet him. 72 hours later, Draisaitl told reporters the move was "just disrespectful."
"We hit two posts [in that shootout] and he’s celebrating like, I don’t know, like they just won the Stanley Cup," Draisaitl said. "I get it, they’re excited, good for them, they won the game in the shootout. But show some respect, I think. That’s my opinion.”
MORE: Goaltenders Mike Smith and Cam Talbot fight in Oilers-Flames
David Rittich's celly says it all. 😂 @NHLFlames take this edition of the #BattleOfAlberta in a shootout! pic.twitter.com/9lQAYaGel5
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 30, 2020
If the rest of the Oilers were as bothered by Rittich's move, they sure let him know on Saturday — Edmonton forced Calgary head coach Geoff Ward to pull his starting goaltender from the game after his fourth goal allowed. Rittich eventually had to re-enter the game for its final 20 minutes after Smith and Talbot were thrown out for fighting; Edmonton forwards Sam Gagner and Gaetan Haas scored on Rittich two more times to seal the Oilers' blowout win.
Smith, who played with Rittich in Calgary from 2017-19, told reporters after the game that "sometimes what goes around comes around" when opponents cross the line.
"I’m not gonna start a media circus here," Smith said. "I was fortunate enough to play with Ritter, I have a relationship with him, he’s a fiery guy and sometimes it goes a little too far."
Smith said Edmonton's blowout win on Saturday was one of the best games the team's forward group has played all season long and said the group can use the rivalry's intensity as movitation and a learning opportunity moving forward.
“There was a good feeling in here after this game, I’ll just put it that way," he told reporters. "There was a really good feeling after this game. The energy was probably unlike we’ve seen this year from our group, and that can only make our group stronger in here and better as a team."
The Oilers and Flames are scheduled play only one more time in 2019-20 on April 4 — the last day of the regular season.