With the baseball playoffs on the shelf until tomorrow, it is a solo effort for Streak for the Cash here on today's Streaking In Public. I could not even go near the Euro 2016 Qualifiers in the early afternoon, a fact driven home by the fact that Spain was stunned by Slovakia. That left the football, both college and professional, and hockey at my disposal. Yes, there is an international friendly match and an NBA Preseason game but I am trying really hard these days to pick games that at least...matter. I eventually settled on the Edmonton Oilers over the Calgary Flames.
Neither team has the highest of expectations coming into the 2014-15 season, but I am leaning towards the Oilers for three reasons.
- They are at home. Home ice early in the season does a lot to help a team get back into the swing of things. Edmonton was just as terrible at home as they were on the road a year ago, but Calgary weren't any better on the road. When in doubt, go with the team playing at home.
- Calgary is playing a back to back. The Flames' season began last night on Opening Night against the Canucks. They were easily vanquished by Vancouver and had to immediately head back out on the road. Edmonton is playing their season opener tonight and should be well rested.
- The backup goalie is playing. As I said in the previous point, the Flames are in the second game of a back to back slate. With back to backs, there is usually a goalie rotation. Karri Ramo gets the start tonight over Jonas Hiller in the Calgary net. I expect Oilers' wingers Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle should be salivating at getting their first licks at the second stringer.
So the Oilers are the pick for the night. The Rock promo for the day? Might as well take one from his work in the Great White North. It may not be in Edmonton but it is damn entertaining. HAPPY STREAKING EVERYBODY!!