Oilers win split-squad games against Flames
Mark Letestu scored a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-2 in a split-squad pre-season game on Monday.
Patrick Maroon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan Strome also scored for the Oilers, who dressed the more veteran of the two teams in Edmonton, with a game also taking place in Calgary at the same time. The Oilers won that game 5-4.
Matt Bartkowski and Hunter Shinkaruk replied with goals for the Flames.
Edmonton started the scoring a little over two minutes into the game, as a rebound came to Letestu at the side of the net and he easily swatted it past Flames starter Eddie Lack.
The Oilers made it 2-0 on the power play three minutes later as Maroon, who had a career season last year with 27 goals, was credited with the goal after it was inadvertently sent in by a Flames defender in the crease.
Edmonton got another gift goal with five minutes left in the opening period as Flames defender Michael Stone tried to poke a stick off Nugent-Hopkins’ stick, sending it into his own net.
The Oilers outshot Calgary 17-5 in the first.
Oilers goalie Cam Talbot made a short-handed breakaway stop on Marek Hrivik midway through the scoreless second, with Calgary having a goal disallowed at the end of the frame as time had expired.
Edmonton added to its lead when Letestu blasted a third period power-play shot past Flames back-up David Rittich.
The Oilers made it 5-0 on another power-play goal by Ryan Strome, who Edmonton acquired from the New York Islanders for Jordan Eberle in the off-season. Strome also had an assist. Connor McDavid picked up his second assist of the game on the play.
Calgary broke the shutout bid with four minutes left on a goal by Bartkowski on Oilers backup Edward Pasquale. Shinkaruk got another late power-play goal for the Flames.
Both teams return to action Wednesday, as the Flames host Vancouver and the Oilers face the Jets in Winnipeg.
Caggiula leads in Calgary
In Calgary, Drake Caggiula scored two goals to lead the Oilers to a 5-4 win over the Flames.
Sean Monahan put the home team in front on the first shot of the game, but Edmonton reeled off the next four goals. Caggiula started the spree on a deflection at 5:24 of the first, then added a power-play goal at 6:12 of the second to give the Oilers a 4-1 lead.
Yohann Auvitu, Jujhar Khaira and 2017 first-round pick Kailer Yamamoto also scored for Edmonton.
Dougie Hamilton, TJ Brodie and Mark Jankowski had the other Calgary goals.
It was an inauspicious debut for Flames new starting goaltender Mike Smith. Acquired from Arizona in a off-season trade, the 35-year-old was beaten four times on 13 shots in just under 29 minutes of action.