Flames Fall 3-1 To Oilers

Calgary loses Battle of Alberta tilt at Scotiabank Saddledome

By Chris Wahl

CalgaryFlames.com

January 21, 2024

A game of bounces went the way of the visitors, as the Flames suffered a 3-1 setback to the Oilers Saturday at Scotiabank Saddledome.

MacKenzie Weegar scored the lone Calgary goal - his 10th of the season - while Dan Vladar turned in an heroic effort between the pipes.

In fact, Vladar was the story of the opening frame, and he was dialled in.

First, he made two quick stops on a Warren Foegele breakaway before denying Connor McDavid on a point-blank chance in front less than a minute later.

He added an exclamation point just past the 11 minute mark with a lunging, left arm stop on Connor Brown after the Oilers forward was set up on an odd-man rush by linemate Dylan Holloway.

Darth Vladar was putting on a clinic in the first period

Edmonton broke through with the game’s opening goal with just under five minutes to play in the opening frame, Ryan McLeod sped down the right wing before cutting to the net to put his ninth goal of the season past Vladar.

Calgary’s best shift - and best chance - of the first 20 minutes came in the final minutes of the frame, when Blake Coleman found himself alone in the slot after a setup from Andrew Mangiapane out of the left corner.

Coleman’s effort was turned aside by Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner, who stopped all eight shots he faced in the first period.

The Flames have found offence from their defence all season long, and MacKenzie Weegar helped the homeside answer back 1:58 into the middle stanza.

Weegar jumped into the rush on a 3-on-1 opportunity, then wired a puck over an outstretched Skinner for his career-best 10th goal of the campaign following a pretty setup from Coleman.

Flames blueliner with perfect finish on 2-on-1

The pace remained quick, but as the second period progressed the game developed into a display of defensive commitment on both sides of the puck.

Vladar stopped Evander Kane with a glove save after the Edmonton forward found space down the left wing, while at the other end, Yegor Sharangovich’s stick abandoned him on a one-timer opportunity with the Flames enjoying a late powerplay.

The contest picked up physically, too, with A.J. Greer sending the home faithful into a frenzy in period two with a thunderous hit on Sam Gagner behind the Oilers net.

Edmonton reclaimed a one-goal lead just over a minute and a half into period three, the puck fluttering past Vladar after a wild carom off two bodies out of the left corner.

Sam Gagner was credited with the tally.

At the other end, the Flames put eight shots on Skinner in the final frame, coming close to tying the score on a slot shot from Yegor Sharangovich on a mid-period powerplay.

Zach Hyman sealed the win for the visitors with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Vladar stopped 29 shots in the Calgary net, while Skinner made 26 saves for Edmonton.

Forward Adam Klapka played 6:06 in his NHL debut, all while leading all skaters with four hits.