Calgary built up leads of 2-0 and 3-1 after 20 minutes of play, but Edmonton clawed back into the game and kept chipping away and after knotting it up on that play, got the winner in the third.
The Flames played a physical contest from the opening puck drop and pushed hard late but couldn't find a tying marker of their own.
The experience of getting the young players on the ice together, though, was invaluable.
Calgary's offence on the night came courtesy of goals from Walker Duehr, Ryan Francis and Martin Pospisil.
The vistors opened the scoring with Duehr's tally.
The Minnesota State University product - who played five games with the AHL's Stockton Heat last season - came off the bench and skated down mainstreet all alone, dropping to a knee to one-time a pass from Jakob Pelletier that Edmonton's Olivier Rodrigue managed to stop, but Duehr followed his rebound into the low slot and snapped it home under the glove of the Oilers 'tender just under five minutes into the tilt.
Connor Zary got the other helper.