Tristan Jarry stood tall in the crease, stopping 24 shots as the Edmonton Oilers rolled past the Calgary Flames 4-0 on Wednesday to end a two-game slide.
Edmonton got goals from Mathieu Joseph, Mattias Ekholm, Kasperi Kapanen and Alex Formenton, while Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each picked up two assists. The win moved the Oilers to 9-2-2 and closed out their five-game road trip at 3-1-1.
Calgary’s four-game winning streak came to a halt at 5-7-0. Dustin Wolf finished with 20 saves after replacing Devin Cooley, who was injured late in the first period.
Cooley’s night ended after he was run over in the crease by Oilers forward Colton Dach late in the opening frame. He did not come back out to start the second period. The 29-year-old had been sharp entering the game, riding a stretch of four straight wins with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.
McDavid kept his season-opening point streak alive at 13 games with the two assists, giving him a league-best 36 points. He also pushed his assist streak to 13 games to set a new NHL record, moving past Sebastian Aho, Ken Linseman and Wayne Gretzky.
The numbers told the story for both sides. Edmonton is now 7-0-1 when it scores first and 7-0 when it carries a lead after 40 minutes. Calgary, meanwhile, is 1-6 when it gives up the opening goal and 0-5 when it trails after two periods.
The Flames head home to face the Seattle Kraken on Friday.
In Other News...
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
Mike Babcocks return to the spotlight has already produced a familiar kind of debate around how he handles players, with former NHLer Corrado pointing to the contrast between Babcocks deep systems knowledge and Craig St. Louis more individualized approach. For teams around the league, and especially for rival fans watching Edmonton closely, it is the kind of coaching choice that can say as much about the room as it does about the lineup card.
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 🡒]