Eleven goals, three fights.
The Battle of Alberta is back.
The Edmonton Oilers downed the Calgary Flames 8-3 Saturday night in a game that will be remembered for a sequence late in the second period, punctuated by a fight between the two goalies.
“(Cam) Talbot gets in there and mixes it up a little bit, throws some blockers, I didn’t really like that too much,” said Oilers goalie Mike Smith after the game.
LISTEN BELOW: Mike Smith
The Oilers, 8-1-2 in their last eleven, jumped out of the gate with two goals in the first 1:05. Kailer Yamamoto was alone in front and flipped a shot past David Rittich for his fifth of the season at the 29-second mark. Then Zack Kassian one-timed a pass from Josh Archibald for his fourteenth. The Flames got one back from Buddy Robinson, but Connor McDavid struck on the power play to make it 3-1 Oilers after the first.
A wild second period featured five goals and two fights. McDavid made it 4-1 Oilers, and Rittich was pulled after allowing four goals in 17 shots. Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm replied for Calgary, then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Caleb Jones scored on Cam Talbot to make it 6-3.
With 24 seconds to go in the second, Talbot went after Sam Gagner for jamming at a puck he had covered. It quickly escalated with all ten skaters getting involved in pushing and shoving. Mike Smith skated to centre ice. Ethan Bear and Tkachuk started fighting, then Talbot skated to centre and engaged Smith in the first goalie fight in the history of the Battle of Alberta. Both goalies were ejected from the game.
“Didn’t like the fact that (Gagner) comes in and spears me when I’m on, back after the whistle,” said Talbot. “In a game like that, those things kind of set you off. I reacted accordingly. Probably not the smartest reaction on my part, but it was a highly emotional game. My emotions got the best of me.”
Sam Gagner ripped a long slapper past Rittich in the third. Gaetan Haas scored on a penalty shot with 1:57 left.
The Oilers had 24 shots in the second to tie a team record for most shots in a period.
“Our team feels a little more balanced right now,” said Oilers head coach Dave Tippett. “Our goaltending has been real solid, so it’s been a real good team effort.”
Leon Draisaitl had four assists. He has 22 points over the course of an eleven-game point streak.
Draisaitl recalled Rittich celebrating with a stick flip after the Flames won in a shootout on Wednesday.
“It’s just disrespectful,” said Draisaitl. “We hit two posts, and he’s celebrating like they won the Stanley Cup.”
LISTEN BELOW: Leon Draisaitl
Jujhar Khaira and Robinson fought in the first period.
LISTEN BELOW: Dave Tippett
The Oilers, 28-18-6, will play in Arizona on Tuesday.
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