GAME RECAP: Flames 4, Oilers 3

CALGARY, AB – Leon Draisaitl scored two goals on the power play, but the Edmonton Oilers conceded the season series to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night after falling 4-3 in the Battle of Alberta at Scotiabank Saddledome to close out their schedule before the Olympic break.

Ryan Lomberg played hero for the Flames in the Battle of Alberta for the second straight game after he scored the game-winning goal 6:44 into the third period, converting off a bouncing puck just 2:27 after Kasperi Kapanen had made it 3-3 inside the opening five minutes of the final frame.

The Flames scored twice on the power play and added two more at even strength, while Devin Cooley was terrific in goal with 36 saves to earn the victory, including 27 over the final two periods to shut down the Oilers. Tristan Jarry stopped 21 of the 25 shots he faced to fall to his second straight defeat.

"We have to use the break," Jarry said. "I think that's the whole point of it. We have most of the team, so we'll be able to establish some good practices. We'll be able to get some rest, a little bit of a reset, and I think just coming back, we'll be able to work on some of those things that we might not have been able to just with the condensed schedule. I think ultimately, it'll do everyone good."

Leon Draisaitl reached 29 goals with a pair of power-play markers, while Evan Bouchard had three assists to surpass 300 career helpers.

The Oilers will take a two-and-a-half week break from NHL action for the Olympics and will return on Feb. 25, when they begin a California back-to-back against the Anaheim Ducks as part of a three-game road trip.

"It looks like we need a little break right now," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "We can reset. We've got this time to refocus and make any adjustments we want. The coaches have a long time to look at and evaluate what we want to do. We've got a little mini training camp coming back when we've got about a week to go, so we can focus on things that we need to get better at or any changes that we need to make."

FIRST PERIOD

Just like they did last night in the third period against the Maple Leafs, the penalties wound up costing the Oilers against the Flames, this time twice in the opening period to fall behind 2-1 to their provincial rivals before their penalty kill came up with the important stop late in the frame.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored on Calgary's first man advantage 3:12 into the contest to put the Flames ahead before Leon Draisaitl was able to lift a power-play tally of his own into the top shelf past Logan Cooley just over two minutes later to tie things back up with a historic goal for the German superstar.

Playing in his 845th career game tonight, tying Glenn Anderson for the fifth most games played in Oilers history, Draisaitl surpassed Mark Messier for sole possession of fourth-most points in Oilers history at 1,035 and trails Jari Kurri (1,043) by eight points for third on that list.

He's also the sixth player in Oilers history to reach the 70-point mark in the Battle of Alberta (since 1980-81) alongside Wayne Gretzky (133), Kurri (89), Messier (87), Anderson (83), and Paul Coffey (70), and has now recorded at least a point in six straight games against Calgary (8G, 5A).

The Oilers' next power play that came a few minutes later nearly backfired when Evan Bouchard's drop pass in the neutral zone hit the skate of the linesman, redirecting it to Blake Coleman to create a two-on-none by putting it through the defenceman's legs and moving it to Joel Farabee to hit the crossbar.

Bouchard was beaten for another chance on a bad bounce over this stick in the neutral zone that created a breakaway for Joel Farabee, but it was Jarry who came up with the last-ditch toe save when Farabee tried to slide a backhand past him with speed, keeping things tied until Edmonton's penalties returned.

After Nazem Kadri was tripped for the second time in the period, the Flames went back to the power play and restored their lead at 2-1 through rookie Matvei Gridin for their second goal with the man advantage at 5:16 of the frame.

Calgary could've extended their lead on another power play before the intermission, but Jarry made two terrific saves to get the penalty kill a stop, but two PPGs for the Flames in the opening 20 minutes had them ahead 2-1 after 20 minutes.

"It's tough," Jarry said. "I think I could have made some more saves. I think ultimately, if I can keep that game at two, we come out with a better outcome. I think I could have played better at the start, and I think that'll be the case going forward."

"I think it starts with me. I think I could be more accountable, and I think I could play better. I think if I play better and stand in there strong for these guys, I think we'll have some better outcomes. I think it starts with me, and I think I just have to be better moving forward."

SECOND PERIOD

While the penalties slowed for the Oilers in the second period, the Flames found another at even strength on a deflection from Connor Zary before Leon Draisaitl converted his second on the power play before the intermission to keep it a one-goal game heading into the final period.

The Oilers generated numerous chances on Devin Cooley, but were running into a hot goalie for the second straight night after both he and Jarry held their own early in the frame that saw a heavy scrap between Ty Emberson and Joel Hanley add some extra energy to the Saddledome.

But even at even strength, the Flames were able to extend their lead with 11:43 gone in the period when Connor Zary knocked down Zach Whitecloud's shot from the top of the zone with a deflection in front that beat Jarry to make it 3-1 for the hosts.

"It wasn't special teams, obviously." Knoblauch said. "We don't like giving up the two, but we got two in return, so they outscored us five on five. Kind of a lot of what we've been seeing. Chance generation, there were lots. Their goalie played really well, but we're also giving up too much."

After it became four-on-four at the ensuing faceoff after some rough stuff at the draw between Mattias Janmark and Martin Pospisil, the Oilers almost responded immediately through Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid when the German caught a piece of the post with a backhand from the hashmarks.

In the final three minutes of the frame, McDavid was slashed in the hands by Matt Coronato to set up a vital power play before the intermission, where Draisaitl converted from a tight angle with a one-timer from Bouchard for his second PPG after he took advantage of the extra ice left by Yegor Sharangovich.

It was the 29th goal of the season for No. 29, who passed Paul Coffey (70) for the fifth-most points against the Flames in franchise history and is now only seven points from tying Jari Kurri for the third-most points for the Oilers after registering his 299th career multi-point game.

With assists on both of Draisaitl’s goals, Bouchard became the fifth defenceman in franchise history to record 300 career points.

Thanks to the late PP conversion, the Oilers were within striking distance down 3-2 to the Flames while leading 25-16 in shots after 40 minutes.

THIRD PERIOD

After the Oilers evened things up on a lucky break for Kasperi Kapanen 4:17 into the period, a bounce betrayed Ty Emberson less than two minutes later to give the Flames back the lead through Ryan Lomberg, which was all they needed to take the 4-3 victory behind a terrific Devin Cooley between the pipes.

Cooley's only exception on Wednesday came in the first five minutes of the frame after Kapanen's shot from the slot somehow rolled out of the equipment for of the Calgary netminder and down the back of his right pad before resting inside the right post for a weird one that tied thigns up 3-3.

Kapanen's tally was his second goal in as many games, while Bouchard was up to three assists and 301 for his career with his secondary assist, along with the primary helper from Vasily Podkolzin.

Cooley immediately bounced back for the Flames by stopping Matt Savoie twice on a two-on-one with Jack Roslovic after the rookie forward made a terrific deke to leave MacKenzie Weegar behind in the neutral zone, but the netminder's two saves set the tone for a tough finish for the Blue & Orange.

Only 2:27 later, Emberson inadvertently kicked a harmless flip from Nazem Kadri near the top of Edmonton's zone to Ryan Lomberg, who pushed it into the crease and followed through on the rebound to put it past Jarry for a quick turn of events to put the Flames back ahead 4-3 with over 12 minutes left.

"I don't think there was anything bad about [Jarry's] game tonight," Knoblauch said. "We gave up four. The first one, the timing on that screen is very difficult to save. The point shots. There's a puck bouncing around. I don't know. The other one was a breakaway, so I don't think those were bad goals."

After that, it was Cooley stealing the show in his first Battle of Alberta to finish with 13 saves in the third period, locking down the Flames' win to secure the season series over the Oilers with the 4-3 win in their final meeting of the season, and final game before the Olympic break.

The Oilers will be back in action on Feb. 25 to open a California back-to-back against the Anaheim Ducks to resume action after the Olympics.