GAME STORY: Oilers 3, Flames 2

EDMONTON, AB - Connor McDavid's power-play goal in the third period held up as the game-winner as the Oilers earned another Battle of Alberta victory, 3-2 on Friday night at Rogers Place.

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FIRST BLOOD

After the Oilers dominated the first half of the opening period but couldn't convert, it was the Flames who scored first at the 12:23 mark when Michael Stone stepped into a slap shot from the point that beat Mike Smith blocker side with Milan Lucic providing an effective screen in front. The booming blast was the blueliner's first goal since Jan. 5, 2020 when Calgary was on the road in Minnesota.

PLAY OF THE GAME

With the Oilers down 2-1 midway through the second period, they pulled off a series of perfect passes before Dominik Kahun finished off the equalizing goal for his sixth of the season. Ethan Bear went blueline-to-blueline across neutral ice to Leon Draisaitl, who took a few strides and dropped it back to Bear cruising into the attacking zone. The defenceman found Kailer Yamamoto cutting to the net on the right wing and he made Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom commit before getting it to Kahun at the top of the crease for the no-doubt one-timer into the empty cage.

SAVE OF THE GAME

Smith made an emphatic windmill with his glove to get enough of a piece of Sean Monahan's hard shot from the slot midway through the first Flames power play of the night early in the second period en route to a 24-save performance for his 13th victory in 18 starts this season.

TURNING POINT

After Yamamoto drew an interference penalty on Noah Hanifin 6:57 into the third period, McDavid ripped a wrist shot right off the faceoff win by Draisaitl past Markstrom for the power-play goal to give the Oilers their first lead of the game at 3-2. The go-ahead tally came just four seconds into the man advantage and Edmonton was able to hold off Calgary's late push to preserve the one-goal win.

TOP PERFORMER

Draisaitl recorded the lone assist on Edmonton's opening goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, factored in on his fellow countryman Kahun's middle-frame marker but didn't get credit for a helper, and then won the draw that led directly to McDavid's go-ahead tally in the third. His two-apple night brought him up to 37 assists and 56 points on the season as he once again moved one point closer to McDavid for the NHL scoring lead, with the Oilers captain now at 64 with his one-goal game.

FACT CHECK

With his game-winner, McDavid now has the highest career goals-per-game average in the Battle of Alberta in franchise history at 0.81, ahead of Wayne Gretzky at 0.76 and Glenn Anderson at 0.54.

NEXT UP

Since Saturday's Oilers home matchup with the Vancouver Canucks was postponed, the team will head right back to Montreal on Sunday ahead of Monday's game against the Canadiens. They'll then play games in Ottawa on Wednesday and Friday before heading home for what would be back-to-back home dates against Vancouver, depending on the Canucks COVID situation.

PARTING WORDS

"We didn't play as well as we wanted to in Montreal and we wanted to rebound with a better effort tonight," Smith said of the Oilers bouncing back after Tuesday's 4-0 road defeat. "I thought right off the get-go we were humming pretty good. We got behind a couple times but we were able to come back and then get the third one."
"It was like a playoff game, it was very tight," Kahun said of the fiercely contested provincial rivarly affair. "What we talked about was out-working them and I think we did a good job of that."
"We talk about how no matter what happens we've got to find a way to win," Head Coach Dave Tippett said of Friday's effort. "We've been able to do that a number of times this year."