Connor McDavid added another line to the NHL record book on Wednesday night, and the Edmonton Oilers backed it up with a convincing 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames.
McDavid set up two goals, extending his run to at least one assist in 13 straight games to begin the season, an NHL record. He now has 36 points - eight goals and 28 assists - during a 13-game point streak to open the campaign.
The Oilers got goals from Mathieu Joseph, Mattias Ekholm, Kasperi Kapanen and Alex Formenton as they moved back into first place in the Western Conference. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins chipped in with two assists as well.
Tristan Jarry handled the rest, turning aside 24 shots for his first shutout of the season and the 24th shutout of his career.
Calgary’s night turned early after starting goalie Devin Cooley exited following the first period because of a lower-body injury. The injury came when Edmonton forward Colton Dach crashed into him. Cooley stopped eight of nine shots before leaving, and Dustin Wolf took over, making 20 saves in relief.
The Flames entered with a four-game winning streak, but that streak ended here.
Calgary actually carried the edge early, but Edmonton struck first on its opening shot of the game at 7:46. Joseph raced to the net and finished a sharp cross-ice feed from McDavid.
Ekholm, back in the lineup after missing the previous couple of games, made it 2-0 at 4:52 of the second period. Nugent-Hopkins won the offensive-zone face-off cleanly to Ekholm at the point, and Ekholm’s shot found its way through traffic and in.
The Oilers kept pouring it on to start the third. Kapanen redirected McDavid’s pass across the crease for a power-play goal just 55 seconds in, and Formenton followed with another goal 21 seconds later to close out the scoring.
Calgary also lost forward Brennan Othmann in the first period. Othmann left without his helmet after hitting the ice at the end of a fight with Ty Emberson.
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Flames Suddenly Have A Crease Problem Dustin Wolf Must Solve
Devin Cooleys sudden absence leaves Calgary with a much different look in goal, and the timing is hardly ideal. The Flames placed the goaltender on injured reserve after he was injured in a game, and Dustin Wolf now steps into the starters role as the club tries to steady itself through an unexpected shakeup in the crease.
To help cover the roster, Calgary also recalled Arseni Sergeev and William Stromgren from the Wranglers, with Stromgren coming up to fill the spot left by injured forward Brennan Othmann, who is day-to-day. The moves give the Flames some short-term depth, but the bigger question is how long they can manage without Cooley and how Wolf handles the added load in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Just Created An Oilers Decision Flames Fans Will Notice
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Jake Walmans situation only sharpened that conversation. The defenseman was scratched in a recent game despite the size of his commitment and the fact that he has already dealt with an upper-body injury this season, a move that underscores how quickly Babcock is willing to make hard calls. For Calgary fans, it is another reminder that Edmontons internal decisions can ripple beyond one night on the schedule, especially when a coach with Babcocks reputation starts drawing a line between trust, usage and accountability. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Crease And Lineup Problem Before Back To Back
The Flames had to adjust on the fly after a bruising night against Edmonton left their roster thinner at two important spots, and the timing is far from ideal with back-to-back games against Western Conference opponents coming up. Calgary turned to the Wranglers for help, bringing up forward William Strmgren and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev as it tries to stabilize both the lineup and the crease.
For now, the goaltending picture points toward Dustin Wolf carrying the load with Sergeev behind him, while the forward group will have to manage without Brennan Othmann. It is the kind of short-term disruption that can ripple through a schedule quickly, especially when the games keep coming and the Flames do not have much time to sort out the next move. [Read more 🡒]