Oilers dominate Flames, but a worrying sight at Rogers Place steals attention
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Connor McDavid and the Oilers shut out Calgary 4-0, but empty seats at Rogers Place stole the Battle of Alberta spotlight.
The Oilers got the result they wanted on Wednesday night, but the story coming out of Edmonton was not the score.
Edmonton shut out Calgary 4-0 at Rogers Place, and the building had plenty of room to spare.
Sportsnet's Mark Spector spotted it early in the Battle of Alberta.
He estimated at least 1,500 empty seats, which is a rough look for the league's loudest rivalry.
On the ice, there was little to complain about.
Tristan Jarry stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season, Mathieu Joseph scored on Edmonton's first shot, and Connor McDavid set an NHL record with assists in each of his first 13 games.
That run passed the marks held by Wayne Gretzky, Sebastian Aho and Ken Linseman.
Eric Francis says this is only the start
Sportsnet's Eric Francis took the point further.
He called the empty seat issue in Edmonton very real and said it is a story fans will keep hearing about around the league.
That matters because Rogers Place holds 18,347 for hockey, and the Oilers averaged roughly 18,300 a night last season.
A drop like this stands out when the team keeps winning.
McDavid also leads the NHL with 36 points, so star power is clearly not the problem.
What comes next for Edmonton
The Oilers improved to 9-2-2 while the Flames fell to 5-7-0.
Calgary arrived on a four-game win streak, so the matchup had plenty of juice on paper.
The Oilers visit the Islanders on Saturday and are not back at Rogers Place until Nov. 5.
The Flames host Seattle on Friday night.
Fans will be watching to see if the building looks fuller then.
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