Flames 5, Oilers 4
EDMONTON - Flames right winger Michael Frolik scored his third goal of the night, a fluke from behind the net with 8.7 seconds left in regulation, to lift the Calgary Flames to a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
The Oilers fought back to tie it on third-period goals from right winger Ted Purcell and Leon Draisaitl before the back-breaking stunner on goalie Cam Talbot brought Rexall Place to stunned silence.
The Oilers fell to 4-8-0 with the loss while the Flames posted just their third win of the season in improving to 3-8-1.
With the Flames having lost nine of their previous 10 games, and having played the night before, a lot of the fans in Edmonton were expecting a blowout.
Instead, the Flames got after Edmonton in the first period and staked themselves a 3-1 lead on goals from left winger Brandon Bollig on their first shot of the game at 1:52 and two scores from Frolik at 13:15 and 17:27.
Oilers left winger Taylor Hall replied with his fifth of the season as Edmonton spent the rest of the night chasing the game.
The Oilers thought they had closed it to 3-2 seven minutes into the second period on a goal from left winger Benoit Pouliot, but Flames coach Bob Hartley issued a coach's challenge on the basis of goaltender interference and won the ruling to disallow the goal.
Defenseman Brandon Davidson scored one that counted, though, a bullet from the point that Flames goalie Karri Ramo never had a chance on and it was 3-2.
Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie scored a power-play goal of his own at 16:30 and the Flames were back in front by two at the second intermission.
NOTES: Oilers C Connor McDavid and RW Nail Yakupov both brought seven-game point streaks into the game. ... In the first 11 games of the season, three Oilers scored their first NHL goals (McDavid, D Darnell Nurse and D Brandon Davidson). ... G Karro Ramo, who was recalled from AHL Stockton on Thursday, got the start for the Flames. ... Oilers veteran D Mark Fayne was a healthy scratch. ... RW Jordan Eberle, who's been out with a shoulder injury since the pre-season, is not practicing with the Oilers. ... Everybody on the Flames roster was a minus player through the first 10 games of the season. Celebrated off-season acquisition D Dougie Hamilton was minus-10. ... The Flames have a league worst 4.09 goals against average. ... Flames RW David Jones needs one more game for 400 in his NHL career.