By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Derek Leung / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Edmonton Oilers continue to struggle and didn’t deliver in “The Battle of Alberta” matchup against the Calgary Flames. Oilers lost to the Flames 4-1 on Sunday at home.
The Flames remain undefeated, while the Oilers remain winless.
It’s only the beginning of the season, but there are high expectations for this Oilers team who went to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. In addition, they signed Leon Draisaitl for a long-term extension.
Draisaitl, the alternative captain, signed an 8-year, $112 million extension in September.
Rasmus Andersson led the Flames with a goal and two assists. The Flames and Oilers were neck to neck in the first two periods, but it was the third period where the Flames caught fire. They scored three goals in the third period.
Anthony Mantha, Justin Kirkland, and Connor Zary scored for the Flames. Flames goaltender made 25 saves.
As for the Oilers, goaltender Stuart Skinner made 25 saves. Jeff Skinner put the Oilers on the board in the first period, assisted by Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm, which became the game’s only goal for Edmonton.
Flames were more physical than the Oilers. They were delivering 27 hits compared to the Oilers’ 13 hits. The Oilers won 56 percent of the face-offs.
Both teams struggled on power play opportunities. The Flames scored 0 for 3, while the Oilers scored just 0 for 1. Before entering this game, the Oilers gave up five power-play goals without making a save over the first two games.
Edmonton had few chances of extending its lead. For example, in the second period, it could have gone up 2-0 on Calgary, but the referee waived Derek Ryan’s goal due to goaltender interference.
What’s next for both teams?
The Flames will play the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Oilers will play the Philadelphia Flyers, and they’re trying to earn their first win of the season.
Miguel Mike Medina is a publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com
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