The Edmonton Oilers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place Saturday night.
“When you’re sliding like we were, sometimes it’s tough to find your way out of it, and I thought we did a great job as an entire group of sticking with even though it wasn’t our best start,” Connor McDavid said. “I love the way we held onto that one.”
The Flames peppered Mike Smith with 21 shots in the first period and took the lead on a power play goal by Johnny Gaudreau.
Jesse Puljujarvi tied it up with 2:59 left in the second. After Kris Russell’s shot glanced off the post, Puljujarvi flipped in the loose puck for his seventh of the season.
Noah Hanifin wristed a shot past a screened Smith for his first of the season 1:42 into the third. Kailer Yamamoto tied it less than five minutes later, finishing off a passing play with Leon Draisailt and McDavid.
“How do you win games when things don’t go as planned or you get down or there’s some adversity in the game?” Smith asked. “That’s been something we’ve been talking about and trying to lean from and this was a prime example of that.”
McDavid ripped a shot past Jacob Markstrom’s glove and off the post to put the Oilers ahead with 3:45 remaining.
“Sometimes you have to make adjustments to win, sometimes you have to recognize a little better how you have to play to win,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. “Our team competed, especially in the second and third period we competed really hard, and we’ve got to continue to build on that.”
“If we want to be a top team in this league, there are standard that have to be set and we’re figuring that out every day,” Smith said.
Smith made 34 saves to improve to 7-2. Russell had two assists.
The Oilers, 15-11, will host Ottawa Monday night.
With files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Escott.