GAME STORY: Flames 4, Oilers 3 (SO)

EDMONTON, AB - You could pre-write the game script for the Battle of Alberta as well as you'd like.
But sometimes, it just unfolds better than expected.
"It's fun when you're playing games that matter, and tonight was one that mattered for sure," captain Connor McDavid said post-game. "The crowd felt that, both teams felt that, and it was fun to be a part of."

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THE OTHER SIDE | Flames Coach Geoff Ward

WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers host the St. Louis Blues on Friday. The game can be seen on Sportsnet West and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. MT.
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The third rendition of the Battle of Alberta lived up to the hype on Wednesday night at Rogers Place, needing all 60 minutes, an end-to-end overtime, and the shootout for the Calgary Flames to walk away victorious 4-3 and win their third-straight provincial duel.
Mike Smith made 25 saves on 28 shots, making a handful of game-saving stops for the Oilers as the netminder had his five-game winning streak snapped at the hands of his former side.
"We got a point, there's going to be some highs and lows, and we have to stay even-keeled throughout these 33 games here," Kassian said.
An 11-day break for the Oilers provided plenty of build-up to this critical Pacific Division bout and the first of two clashes between the Flames and Oilers in four days, but three-hard days of practice before tonight couldn't shake the rustiness in Head Coach Dave Tippett's in the opening 10 minutes.
"You worry about that, but you hope you can overcome it with three days practice, but we weren't crisp with the puck early on," Tippett said. "Smitty made some big saves on the mistakes we made."
Zack Kassian returned to the lineup with a new four-year contract before puck drop and from a two-game suspension to settle his score with Matthew Tkachuk in the opening five minutes after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins unexpectedly drew the first bout of the evening with Sean Monahan in front of the Oilers bench.
"(Kassian) means a tonne to our group," McDavid, who posted an assist, said post-game. "He's a vocal guy in our room, brings the emotion, brings the intensity each and every night, and I'm glad he's going to be here a long time."
The Flames would draw first blood just over a minute into the contest after Elias Lindholm sent a pass from inside the circle towards goal that deflected off Adam Larsson's stick in front.

"I thought a little bit of a flukey one to start there puts us behind the eight-ball, but I thought we did a good job battling back to earn ourselves a point and lose in a skills competition," McDavid said.
A cagey first 20 minutes opened up into a cascade of offence in the middle frame, with Kailer Yamamoto finishing a quick move following a face-off with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins before Alex Chiasson dropped to one knee to fire home his seventh of the campaign and square the scoreboard at two on the power play.
Andrew Mangiapane's second of the night in the final minute of the second period gave the Flames a 3-2 advantage leading into the final stanza.
Defenceman Matt Benning's return to the lineup after missing two months with a concussion was marked with a fantastic individual effort, turning Noah Hanifin and tucking the tying goal under David Rittich with 8:11 on the clock, to send the Battle of Alberta into sudden death.
Both netminders came up massive in extra time as we'd need the shootout to decide who'd come away with the extra point. The Oilers cracked the post twice and Monahan fired five-hole the game-winner on the first attempt before Rittich's poke check on Draisaitl was the decisive blow.

"Tight game," Tippett said. "We hit two posts in the shootout - what are you going to do? A hard-fought game but we were looking for two points, not one."
A point is a point, but against a provincial rival and in a jam-packed Pacific Division race, it's a lesser return after expending plenty of energy in an emotional match.
"We would've definitely liked that extra point there, but we got one and have some games in hand," Nugent-Hopkins said. "That's going to be the way we have to play from now on."
The Oilers host the St. Louis Blues on Friday in the first game of a back-to-back that ends at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night.