Kailer Yamamoto and Patrick Russell both scored twice to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 7-4 win over the Calgary Flames in their pre-season opener on Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
It took the Flames only 23 seconds to open the scoring as Dillon Dube beat Mikko Koskinen from the slot. Less than three minutes later, the Oilers pulled even.
This year’s 10th overall pick Evan Bouchard joined the rush and fired home a wrist shot. Tyler Benson and Ryan McLeod earned the assists. Kailer Yamamoto scored on a shorthanded breakaway later in the period to put the Oilers up 2-1 after one.
Dube beat Mikko Koskinen from a bad angle in the first minute of the second, then tallied again on a breakaway four minutes later to complete the hat trick and put the Flames up 3-2. Ethan Bear blasted in a power-play slapper in the final minute of the second period to pull the Oilers level.
LISTEN BELOW: Kailor Yamamoto on 630 CHED
Yamamoto converted another breakaway early in the third after taking a long stretch pass from McLeod. Patrick Russell and Pontus Aberg added goals 23 seconds apart late in the third, while Andrew Mangiapane got one back for Calgary with just over a minute left. Russell sealed it with an empty net goal.
Yamamoto, McLeod and Benson finished the night with seven points. Yamamoto said it was fun playing on the top line with them.
“They’re both unbelievable playmakers,” he said. “They can score too so they’re really fun to play with.”
Koskinen made 16 saves on 19 shots. Shane Starrett played the third and made five saves on six shots.
Flames goalie David Rittich made 21 saves on 27 shots.
Oilers head coach Todd McLellan thought the two teams matched each other well.
“I thought we had real good performances from some young players, also some pretty solid performances from some veterans that provided leadership when we needed it in the game,” he said.
LISTEN BELOW: Todd McLellan on 630 CHED
The Oilers will play in Vancouver on Tuesday. The Flames will play in Vancouver and against Boston in Beijing for a split squad game on Wednesday.
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