CALGARY, AB -- They might not hit and hold the high C's like Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras quite yet but, hey, Monday was their first rehearsal with something resembling the full orchestra.

The Three Tremors line -- left to right: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer -- is already showing signs of being able to set shifts, periods and whole games to their particular brand of push-the-boundaries music.

"I lost count of the chances,'' lamented Bennett of one of those everything-but full-on assault third periods in the split-squad exhibition opener at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

CALGARY, AB -- Mark Giordano scored, but the Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 in pre-season split-squad action at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.
 
Brian Elliott and Mason McDonald combined to make 19 saves for the Flames (0-2-0), who also lost 4-2 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. 
 
Anton Slepyshev and Jere Sallinen scored for the Oilers (0-2-0).
 
Trailing 2-0, Giordano one-timed a Dennis Wideman pass by Oilers reliever Laurent Brossoit with nine seconds remaining in regulation. The goal game after Sallinen hit the back of the empty net at 18:57 with McDonald on the bench for the extra attacker.

EDMONTON, AB -- Three third period Edmonton Oilers goals sunk the Calgary Flames on Monday night, with the visitors dropping a 4-2 decision in Edmonton.

"We tried forcing things, we couldn't get through the neutral zone and we couldn't get pucks behind their (defence)," was assistant coach Dave Cameron's assessment of the final period. "They just stood up on us and they just kept coming back and attacking. We didn't manage the neutral zone well enough."

Goaltender Jon Gillies went the distance at Rogers Place, turning aside 35 shots in 60:00 of action. Due to injury issues last season, Monday's game was just Gillies' second in the last 11 months.

"I thought he was exceptional," Cameron said. "I think he battled, battled, battled. We turned over way too many pucks tonight and the Oilers took advantage of it. He bailed us out.

"I thought for a guy who has been off as long as he's been, coming back and facing what he faced tonight, I don't know if he could have played any better."

CALGARY, AB -- Mark Jankowski has been around long enough to know.

"Absolutely," said Jankowski, who will visit Rogers Place in the road side of a split-squad contest against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday (7 p.m. MT, CalgaryFlames.com).

"Hate the Oilers.

"It's going to be good. It's going to be a hard, intense game. It's the Battle of Alberta. You always want to beat Edmonton. Hate losing to them.

"It's going to be a really good game."

CALGARY, AB -- Any lingering Edmonton-area hockey residue has obviously been scraped off with the opening of training camp.

Squinting at the image on an iPhone 5 on Monday morning, Brett Pollock was asked for his initial impression of the Oilers' freshly-unveiled mascot, Hunter.

"I don't even know what to say about that," he deadpanned. "What's it supposed to be? A lynx? Okay …

"It's a little creepy. Like a Halloween costume gone bad or something."

CALGARY, AB -- Turns out training camp isn't just for the players.
 
Calgary Flames coach Glen Gulutzan is looking to get back into the swing of things, too.
 
"I don't think I've put enough games in this league as a head coach," Gulutzan said. "I think I've got a hundred or so to watch from the stands.
 
"I'll make sure I'm on the bench as much as I can be."

CALGARY, AB -- There's no dipping a toe into the water to test out the temperature.

Dive in head first, suggested Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano.  

"I don't think you can ease into it," said Giordano, who will take to Scotiabank Saddledome ice in the home side of a split-squad contest against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday (7:00 PM MT, CalgaryFlames.com).

"That's when injuries and things like that happen. You have to go out and play like it's a regular season game … with that mindset and intensity. I just think that's when you get into trouble if you think you're going to ease into these games. There are guys battling around the league looking for jobs and fighting for position.

"You've got to be ready."

FLAMES VS. OILERS - 7:00 PM MT - CALGARYFLAMES.COM

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers will open up their respective pre-seasons with split-squad games on Monday, Sept. 26. One game will take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome and the other will be played at Rogers Place, both at 7:00 PM MT. Both games will be streamed on CalgaryFlames.com.

FLAMES @ OILERS - 7:00 PM MT - CALGARYFLAMES.COM

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers will open up their respective pre-seasons with split-squad games on Monday, Sept. 26. One game will take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome and the other will be played at Rogers Place, both at 7:00 PM MT. Both games will be streamed on CalgaryFlames.com.

FLAMES (0-0-0) @ OILERS (0-0-0)
 
TV: 7 PM MT; Streamed on CalgaryFlames.com
 
Season series: The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are meeting for the first time this pre-season with split-squad games going simultaneously in each city. Calgary will host Edmonton at Scotiabank Saddledome in one split-squad game, while the Oilers will welcome the Flames at Rogers Place in the other.