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Flames 2, Oilers 5
Edmonton Oilers accomplished something at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday that they have yet to do at Rogers Place this season: win a home game.
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The Oilers faced what seemed like a must-win contest with their provincial rivals on Sunday, and got it with a 5-2 triumph over the Calgary Flames before 55,411 spectators in the 2023 Heritage Classic. The home side dominated the action at even strength, but a steady stream of penalties including a pair of lengthy 2-man disadvantages resulted in a pair of Calgary powerplay goals that kept things close at 3-2 through 40 minutes. The Oil responded with their best third period of the season, scoring a pair of tallies including an empty netter while holding the Flames at bay.
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Edmonton outshot Calgary 34-26 including 31-18 at even strength, while our own analysis at the Cult of Hockey had the Oilers with a 15-9 edge in Grade A Shots (running count).
With the win the Oilers passed the Flames and moved into 30th place overall, ending October with a 2-5-1 mark. They have a bit of catching up to do, but a lot of time in which to do it.
Passing grades for all in what we saw as a strong team effort.
Player grades
#2 Evan Bouchard, 7. Scored the game winner with a seeing-eye slapper through traffic late in the first that restored Edmonton’s 2-goal lead just 71 seconds after it had been cut in half. Spent a fair amount of time trapped behind his own blueline (shots +6/-11 at evens) but kept his head and made some calm plays under pressure. Individual contributions to Grade A Shots (GAS): even strength +3/-1; special teams +0/-0.
#5 Cody Ceci, 7. Rock solid throughout. Led Oilers defencemen in time on ice at both even strength (17:18) and on the penalty kill (a whopping 4:51) as well as overall (22:09) without being assigned a single mistake on a Grade A shot. Fired 6 shot attempts at one end, blocked 2 at the other. Made a huge clear from the blue paint in the late going. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
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#10 Derek Ryan, 7. Played just 8:50 in a utility role, but was very effective with 2 shots, 3 takeaways (tied with Draisaitl for the team lead), and 6/8=75% on the faceoff dot. Made a nice feed to Holloway for a great look that didn’t pan out. Made a terrific play to clear the zone and get the puck up to Kane for the empty netter, thus becoming the first Oilers bottom sixer to score a point this season. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
#14 Mattias Ekholm, 5. Had a very strong first 30 minutes but had his struggles in the back half of the game, including getting burned on the second Flames powerplay goal late in the second. 0 shot attempts, 2 hits, 3 giveaways. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-2.
#18 Zach Hyman, 7. Fine performance by the game’s first star with a goal, an assist, and a whopping +4 on the night. Scored the 2-0 goal on a nifty finish of Draisaitl’s fine pass, screened the goalie on the 3-1, and won a puck battle in the build-up to the 4-2. He was, however, among the culprits on the second Flames goal. Crunched Blake Coleman with a nice hit. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST +0/-2.
#21 Adam Erne, 5. Played just 3:34, managing a shot and 3 hits in that brief opportunity. Mashed Yegor Sharangovich with a heavy hit. Also set up Ryan for a decent chance. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.
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#25 Darnell Nurse, 7. A tower of power in the defensive zone with strong positioning, an active stick, and some hard physical play. Crossed the line when he punched Dryden Hunt while protecting the crease, putting the Oilers 2 men short and getting docked 1 full grade from what was otherwise a great game. Won a key battle deep in his own territory that led to the Draisaitl-Hyman 2-on-1, even as no secondary assist was awarded on the play. No mistakes leading to Grade A shots against. Led the D-corps with 4 hits and 5 blocks, while the Oilers enjoyed a 13-3 advantage in shots on goal during his 17 minutes at 5v5. His best game of the young season. GAS: ES +2/-0, ST 0.
#27 Brett Kulak, 7. Opened up the scoring by following up his own play right to the net front and popping home a rebound. Split time with a couple of partners on the third pairing, including 6½ minutes with Desharnais (shots 5-2 Oilers) and 4 minutes with Broberg (shots 5-0 Oilers). Quietly efficient. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.
#28 Connor Brown, 6. His game continues to come around, even as he remains without a point on the season. 3 shots including a Grade A, though he might have been better served on that play to pass off to an open Draisaitl in the slot. 1 hit, 1 takeaway, 0 problems. Oilers outshot the Flames 7-1 during his 12 minutes at 5v5. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST 0.
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#29 Leon Draisaitl, 8. Workhorse performance as his 24:55 ice time led both teams, forward or defence. His 2:53 on the penalty kill led all forwards. Charged with a penalty for playing with a broken stick, even as he played the puck with his skate he didn’t drop the fractured blade before doing so. Got the last laugh when he emerged from the sin bin and set up the 2-0 within seconds, making an exquisitely timed feed to Hyman for the tap-in. Later teed up Bouchard for the point blast that made it 3-1. Drew both Calgary penalties. His 2-way performance included 3 shots, 1 hit, 3 takeaways to just 1 giveaway, 1 block. 0 defensive mistakes on Grade A Shots while contributing to a whopping 7 at the good end. His only down note was a mediocre 11/25=44% on the dot. GAS: ES +7/-0; ST 0.
#37 Warren Foegele, 7. Got the dream job riding shotgun with Draisaitl and McDavid and delkivered a strong 2-way game, even as his hands let him down a time or two. 3 shots, 2 hits. GAS: ES +4/-0; ST +0/-1.
#55 Dylan Holloway, 5. His usual strong effort, even as he continues to beat the puck square. Had a great chance in alone in the third but bobbled the puck on an attempted deke. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST 0.
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#71 Ryan McLeod, 5. Another quiet game without a single shot attempt, with just 3 shots on either net (2-1 Oilers) during his 8:13 at 5v5. Did well on the dot with 6/7=86%. GAS: ES 0, ST 0.
#73 Vincent Desharnais, 6. Earns a bonus point for his first career goal, massive in its context as it restored Edmonton’s 2-goal lead at 4-2, 6 minutes into the third. He can truthfully tell his progeny that he went “bar down” on Jacob Markstrom, as his lob shot into traffic from the point took a crazy hop off the outdoor ice, sprang over Markstrom’s shoulder and tickled the iron on its way in. Played 12:37 including 3½ minutes on the PK. On the ice for the first Flames goal (scored 5v3 on a well-executed deflection) and in the box for the second for a marginal interference call at the end of an extended physical battle with A.J. Greer. Snuffed out a number of plays along the walls and in the low slot. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-2.
#74 Stuart Skinner, 7. No chance on the first Calgary goal, a deflection in a 3v5 situation; a bit of a greasy rebound on the second. But slammed the door thereafter. Made an important save on Andrew Mangiapane’s deflection from the edge of the blue paint late in the second, then turned aside all 10 shots he faced in the third. 26 shots, 24 saves, .923 save percentage.
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#86 Philip Broberg, 5. Used sparingly, playing just 7:19. A blank line on the Event Summary with no personal stats, but the Oilers outshot the Flames 5-1 during his time. GAS: ES 0, ST 0.
#91 Evander Kane, 8. A tower of power throughout. Led both teams in both shots and hits with a half dozen of each, while posting high-event boxcars of 1-2-3, +3 with 4 PiM. Creamed Nazem Kadri and Chris Tanev with heavy hits that were deemed legal, and was rightly tagged with a boarding call for hammering Mackenzie Weegar.. Also earned a couple of primary assists, creating a rebound for Kulak with a close-in deflection, then screening Markstrom on Desharnais’ tally after first feeding him the puck. Scored the empty netter himself to put the final nail in the proverbial coffin. Was mic’d up for the game and was overheard in a scrum saying “What are you going to do? What’s anybody here going to do?”, with the Flames’ answer in both word and deed seemingly nothing, nothing at all. GAS: ES +5/-0; ST +0/-1.
#93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Centred a very effective second line between Kane and Hyman, with the Oilers holding a 13-6 advantage in shots during RNH’s 16 minutes at evens. Also chipped in about 3 minutes on each special team. 3 shots, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, and a solid 11/18=61% on the faceoff dot. Took a marginal holding penalty. Around the puck all game long. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST 0.
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#97 Connor McDavid, 6. A welcome sight back in the line-up after a 2-game absence. Was involved in some nice combination plays in the early going, earning a secondary assist on Bouchard’s goal. As the game went along the puck didn’t cooperate for him the way it usually does on arena ice, but he was far from alone in that department, just more hampered by it than most. Lined up mostly on left wing, taking just 4 faceoffs (25%). 2 shots, 2 giveaways, 2 takeaways, 2 blocks. Grade A shots: ES +4/-2; ST 0.
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