The Edmonton Oilers suffered their third straight defeat in a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thanksgiving Sunday at Rogers Place. Despite an early spark from Jeff Skinner, who scored his first goal in an Oilers uniform, Edmonton’s momentum was derailed by key disallowed goals and missed opportunities.
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Corey Perry and Derek Ryan both had goals called back after video reviews, leaving Edmonton frustrated. The Situation Room cited Perry’s “significant presence in the crease” as the reason for Calgary’s successful challenge overturning one of the goals. It was a wild call that got Oilers Nation fired up on social media. Most don’t seem to think the NHL is going to stay consistent with that ruling, which will fire up fans even more when those goals are eventually allowed.
The second goal called back was offside, but the Oilers were still frustrated. They never recovered.
The Oilers were further hindered by officiating concerns, particularly a missed slashing call on Flames forward Mikael Backlund against Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. A slash to the back of the leg got Skinner heated and he gave the official an earful before the Oilers headed off the ice for the intermission.
Once the Oilers Were Out of Sync, It Was All Flames
While Edmonton had more overall shot attempts, Calgary dominated the game in terms of quality chances. The Flames turned the game around in the second period, overwhelming the Oilers with aggressive play, hard hits, and close-range scoring opportunities. Ryan Huska‘s team executed a well-rounded game plan, smothering Edmonton’s brief surges, which included the Oilers hitting three posts late in the game.
As 28-year-old Justin Kirkland scored his first NHL goal, Calgary’s persistence paid off, a feel-good moment that capped the Flames’ victory.
For Edmonton, the loss marked another frustrating chapter in their recent slump. With two goals disallowed and a lack of finishing, the Oilers allowed the Flames to hang around before losing control. As they look ahead to breaking their losing streak, questions surrounding officiating and missed chances, but the reality is, the Oilers need to be better.
As Mark Spector tweeted, “Edmonton’s best players are its worst players right now. Draisaitl, Arvidsson, Bouchard, McDavid, RNH, Hyman… Until they show up, nothing changes.”
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