Flames’ Winning Streak Ends With Shutout Loss to Oilers
· Yahoo Sports
The Calgary Flames saw their winning streak come to an end Wednesday night, falling 4-0 to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in the latest Battle of Alberta.
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The Flames were looking to make it five straight wins, but an injury to starting goaltender Devin Cooley and a pair of quick goals early in the third period proved costly. Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry turned aside all 24 shots he faced to earn the shutout.
Cooley made his fifth consecutive start in net, but was forced to leave the game after taking contact in the opening period. Dustin Wolf took over in relief, with Calgary unable to find an answer against Edmonton.
Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesThe rivalry got physical early, as Brennan Othmann and Ty Emberson dropped the gloves in a fight that set the tone for the night. Othmann was also forced to leave the game with an upper-body injury.
Edmonton opened the scoring at 7:46 of the first period. Connor McDavid extended his NHL-record assist streak to begin a season to 13 games, sending a cross-seam pass to Mathieu Joseph, who snapped a shot past Cooley to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.
Wolf entered the game after the first period and was tested early in the second. At 4:52, the Oilers doubled their lead off an offensive-zone faceoff win. Mattias Ekholm sent a shot from the blue line through traffic, finding its way past Wolf to make it 2-0.
Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesThe Flames had an opportunity to get back into the game, but things unravelled early in the third period.
Kevin Bahl was assessed a tripping penalty just 55 seconds into the frame, and Edmonton capitalized on the power play. McDavid drove toward the net before finding Kasperi Kapanen, who one-timed the puck past Wolf to extend the lead to three.
Just 21 seconds later, another defensive breakdown put the game out of reach. A misplay by Jake Middleton resulted in a turnover, allowing Jason Dickinson to send a cross-seam pass to Alex Formenton, who beat Wolf with a shot to the top of the net.
Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesThe Flames couldn’t generate a response, as Jarry shut the door the rest of the way to secure a 4-0 Edmonton victory and end Calgary’s four-game winning streak.
Three Takeaways1. An untimely injury to Cooley
The timing couldn’t have been much worse for Calgary. Cooley had been exceptional during the Flames’ recent turnaround, winning four consecutive starts and helping the team recover from its difficult start to the season. His fifth straight start ended prematurely, forcing Wolf back into the crease.
Wolf needed an opportunity to get back into a rhythm, but taking over mid-game against a rival is far from an ideal situation. Cooley’s departure also took some of the momentum out of Calgary’s night before the Flames could establish themselves.
2. The Flames lost two players to injury
Calgary finished the night dealing with injuries to both Cooley and Othmann. Cooley left with a lower-body injury after taking contact in the first period, while Othmann sustained an upper-body injury following his early fight with Emberson.
Losing two players in a rivalry game is a tough development, particularly with the Flames trying to build on their recent run of success. The extent of either injury remains an important storyline moving forward.
3. Defensive mistakes proved costly
The Flames were still within striking distance heading into the third period, but the game quickly got away from them. A penalty led to Edmonton’s third goal, and a turnover followed just 21 seconds later to make it 4-0.
Against an Oilers team featuring McDavid and plenty of offensive firepower, mistakes can turn a competitive game into a difficult night in a hurry. Calgary paid for its errors, leaving Wolf with little chance on either goal and making a comeback all but impossible.