The Edmonton Oilers’ struggles continued with a 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames Saturday night at Rogers Place.
The Oilers are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and have allowed 42 goals in that span.
“There is frustration right now but nothing like there has been before,” Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said post-game.
It took the Flames only 2:02 to grab the lead with Nazim Kadri fending off Connor McDavid and chipping a pass past Stuart Skinner. Martin Pospisil made it 2-0 with a wrister over Skinner’s left shoulder seven minutes later.
“We just got outworked from the start. It just seemed like they were ready and we, for whatever reason, weren’t,” Leon Draisaitl said.
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The Flames weren’t done with Noah Hanifin adding another with 4:07 left in the first. Zach Hyman gave the Oilers a spark of life with a power play late in the frame.
“We have to learn that we can’t just flip it on and think we’re going to win every game in the third period,” Hyman said. “We have to start on time. You have to play the right way throughout the entire game.”
Hyman struck again four-and-a-half minutes into the second, going to the backhand to beat Dan Vladar on a breakaway. Mattias Janmark and Blake Coleman dropped the gloves for an epic tilt halfway through the second with Janmark earning the upper hand.
Dryden Hunt would make it 4-2 Flames, then Noah Hanifin scored on the power play with Draisaitl in the box for a needless hooking penalty.
“Undisciplined, stupid penalty on my behalf,” Draisaitl admitted. “I certainly didn’t help our team tonight in that way. I take full ownership of that.”
“It was unacceptable and I know Leon has taken ownership of that,” Knoblauch said. “Moving forward, we can’t have those penalties.”
Skinner was pulled for an extra attacker with 7:39 to go in the third. Coleman scored an empty netter 30 seconds later. Janmark would get one back for the Oilers with a backhand move around Vladar.
The Oilers, 33-20-2, will host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 6 p.m., game at 7:30 p.m.).
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