McDavid, Oilers scorch Flames again
CALGARY, Alberta -- Connor McDavid had his second straight three-point performance to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.
The sophomore center scored once and set up two others to lead the Oilers (2-0-0) to their second straight victory over the Flames (0-2-0). Two nights earlier in Edmonton, McDavid had two goals and an assist to help the Oilers open Rogers Place in style with a 7-4 win over their Alberta rivals.
Center Mark Letestu's shorthanded goal at 6:47 of the third period put the Oilers up 4-2 and center Leon Draisaitl's empty-net goal finished off the scoring for Edmonton, who will return home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
Draisaitl scored twice in the third period, including one into an empty net, and also had an assist for the Oilers, while center/right winger Jordan Eberle had a goal and a helper.
Center Sean Monahan, right winger Michael Frolik and defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka scored for the Flames, who don't have much time to regroup as they head right off to Vancouver to play the Canucks in their season and home opener at Rogers Arena on Saturday night.
Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot made 32 saves to record his second straight win, while Brian Elliott stopped 24 of 28 shots he faced in the Calgary net.
The Flames opened the scoring at 1:22 of the first period when Monahan backhanded a shot from just outside the crease past Talbot. Defenseman Deryk Engelland helped set up the goal as he rang a shot off the post and the puck bounced right out in front to Monahan.
At the other end of the ice, Elliott kicked out his left pad to stop a breakaway attempt by Mark Letestu.
The Oilers pulled even at 7:45 of the opening period when McDavid took a breakaway pass from Eberle and then made a quick move before backhanding a shot past Elliott.
Talbot had to be sharp a short time later to turn aside a breakaway opportunity by Chiasson. The Oilers goalie then didn't have much of a chance to stop a shot from the boards by Frolik at 11:35 because of a nice screen in front by Lance Bouma.
After being outshot 24-12 in the first period, the Oilers recorded the first eight shots of the second and were rewarded when Eberle fought off a check from Matt Stajan to shovel a rebound past Elliott for a power-play goal at 5:25.
The Oilers held the Flames to just three shots in the second, while directing 10 pucks toward Elliott.
NOTES: After being a healthy scratch Wednesday in Edmonton, Flames D Jyrki Jokipakka was in the lineup Friday for Calgary's home opener to play on a pairing with D Dougie Hamilton. ... Flames D Nicklas Grossmann was a healthy scratch on Friday after struggling in his regular season debut. Calgary's other scratches were C Freddie Hamilton and D Brett Kulak. ... Oilers D Brandon Davidson suffered an upper-body injury Wednesday and was placed on injured reserve. Subsequently, Edmonton recalled D Eric Gryba from AHL Bakersfield on Thursday. Gryba was paired with D Darnell Nurse. ... Oilers C Anton Lander made his season debut after being a healthy scratch Wednesday. Lander scored just once in 61 games for the Oilers last season. ... Edmonton scratched LW Anton Slepyshev, D Mark Fayne and D Matthew Benning.