Can the Flames heat up in the great outdoors?

Heritage Classic weekend is here.

Have you got the fever?

It is understandable if fans for both the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have lost their spirit as their hockey heroes prepare to hit the outdoor ice at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium for Sunday’s festivities.

The shine has definitely fallen off with the visiting Flames boasting a 2-5-1 record and on a four-game losing skid, while the also-winless-in-four Oilers sit at 1-5-1 and their superstar captain Connor McDavid questionable for the clash.

Then again, at least one team will finally taste the thrill of victory, and potentially turn a corner.

“This game comes at a good time, because it’s easier to forget about the past and really look forward to this outdoor game. It’s a special experience. Everyone is super excited about it,” captain Mikael Backlund told the media after Friday’s practice. “It’s such a special thing with the Battle of Alberta, too, you really forget about this stretch you’ve been in and just really get excited for the game.”

The Flames certainly have some bottled up excitement to burn after their dreadful, lacklustre performance in Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues for which they were deservedly booed off the ice by the Saddledome faithful.

Whether that manifests into a victory — or even a performance worthy of their paycheques — remains to be seen.

Could the element of playing outdoors, a definite change of scenery, make a difference?

“You have to take it as an experience,” said forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who is among those most under the gun for Calgary’s struggles. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Even though you’re not at a good spot coming in, it doesn’t happen a lot that you’re going to play outside. For me, it’s my first time, so I want to enjoy it. But at the end, we want to come out with a win. We need a win right now.”