Music: {allcanada} STAMPEDERS WELCOME ESKIMOS IN ANNUAL LABOUR DAY BATTLE

CALGARY - The Edmonton Eskimos have lost three in a row, haven't scored a touchdown in two games and are without one of their biggest offensive weapons heading into the Labour Day Classic versus the Calgary Stampeders.

You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN Mobile TV beginning at 4pm et/1pm pt.

The Esks, however, don't take such a dire view of their situation for Monday's game. They'd rather accentuate the positive — the fact they're just a win away from taking over the lead in the CFL's West Division.

"Thankfully we got off to such a hot start that we're in a really good spot, heading into the second part of the season," Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray said Sunday. "We're playing for first place on Monday."

The Calgary Stampeders (6-2) host the Eskimos (5-3) in the second of three regular-season games between the division rivals.

Edmonton won the first meeting July 23 at McMahon Stadium by a 24-19 score. Esks receiver Fred Stamps had five catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns in that game, including an electrifying one-handed grab for a major.

Calgary, winners of four in a row, haven't lost since that game and is coming off a 38-31 win over defending Grey Cup-champion Montreal last week. The Eskimos just had a much-needed bye week after a pair of lopsided losses.

The Stampeders and Eskimos meet again Friday in Edmonton to conclude their season series. An Edmonton win Monday gives the Eskimos the same record as Calgary, but the Esks would rank ahead by virtue of the better record head-to-head.

Edmonton rocketed out to a 5-0 start this season, but a porous offensive line and injuries to the receiving corps contributed to a brutal August. Stamps suffered an abdominal injury Aug. 5 versus Winnipeg and subsequently underwent surgery.

The Esks fell 28-16 to the Bombers that game and were then thumped 27-4 by Montreal the following week when they also lost receivers Marcus Henry (concussion) and Jason Barnes (ribs) to injuries.

After a 36-1 thrashing by B.C. in Week 8, Edmonton's bye week couldn't come soon enough. It afforded them time to get slotback Adarius Bowman (ribs) healthy to play Monday for the first time since he was injured in the game in Calgary. Henry has also drawn back into the lineup, but Stamps remains out.

Stamps participated in Eskimos practice last week, but was deemed not yet ready for Monday's game.

"He's probably our best player on offence so he creates a lot of opportunities for us, a lot of big plays," Ray said. "It definitely hurts not having him in there, but that's what we've got to deal with. We've got to go out there and find other ways to make some big plays."

Compounding Edmonton's recent offensive woes is an offensive line that has given up 18 sacks over their last three games. Calgary is tied with Toronto for last in sacks with 10 and would like to improve that stat.

Victoria native Brian Ramsay will start at left guard Monday instead of regular Patrick Kabongo, Edmonton head coach Kavis Reed said Sunday.

"We're looking for the right combination right now," Reed said. "Patrick has had some struggles, consistently had some struggles lately with some technical things. We feel this is an opportunity for him to step back and look at the game and hopefully allow the game to slow down for him again and allow him to re-gain his form."

About 1,500 tickets were still available Sunday morning for a Labour Day game in which the stakes have made the CFL's Battle of Alberta interesting again. Calgary outscored Edmonton 144-40 last season, including a 56-15 win on Labour Day.

"The start Edmonton had, jumping out to a 5-0 start and right now just sitting one game behind us, it really got the blood flowing again," Calgary quarterback Henry Burris said.

What fans won't see when they arrive at McMahon on Monday is the parking-lot billboard rented last week by Edmonton's marketing department. That sign depicted an Eskimos fan riding a Stampeder fan like a horse. The billboard was vandalized on the weekend with an obscenity spray-painted across it.

The Stampeders brought the graffiti to the attention of the company that leases the billboard space, according to a team spokesman, and the entire sign was covered over in black Saturday.

"Good riddance. Good riddance," Calgary halfback Keon Raymond said. "This is our home field, our home turf. You put that here where a guy's got to come to work and people drive from the north to northwest and they see it every morning, I just think everyone was tired of it."

While Ray was under siege from opposing defences in August, Burris flourished. The CFL's most outstanding player last season was chosen the league's offensive player of the month with 1,061 passing yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions in three games. He also had 59 rushing yards and a touchdown.

The Calgary quarterback says Monday is a statement game that sets the tone for Friday's re-match.

"We could really make a move forward, win the season series and hopefully be up in the season standings as well," Burris pointed out. "If they beat us one more time, they win the season series and that's something we don't want to surrender to them."

Notes: Calgary will again be without middle linebacker Juwan Simpson, who re-injured a knee that kept him out three games prior to last week's tilt versus Montreal . . . The Stampeders have won the last two Labour Day games, with Edmonton's last victory a 37-16 decision in 2008 . . . Calgary will wear their black uniforms Monday for their first time this season.