For two teams with such a deep, rich, dramatic and — sometimes — bloody history, Saturday’s final Battle of Alberta at Rexall Place was as polite as they come.
Other than Lance Bouma’s dirty look when Nail Yakupov high-sticked him along the boards in the first period, a headlock delivered by Jakub Nakladal in the third, and a stick-tap from Matt Hendricks on Brandon Bollig’s shins in the third, you’d hardly remember these two teams hated each other’s guts in the 80’s and 90’s.
Yes, a relatively routine 5-0 Calgary Flames victory over the Edmonton Oilers will go down as the final chapter of a storied rivalry in an aging barn formerly known as Northlands Coliseum which probably meant more to its fans than it did to the current edition of players on the ice.