The Calgary Flames took advantage of the Edmonton Oilers’ ongoing struggles on Thanksgiving Sunday, winning 4-1 at Rogers Place. Despite an early goal from Jeff Skinner—his first as an Oiler—the Oilers’ momentum unraveled due to disallowed goals and missed opportunities, allowing the Flames to seize control and ultimately dominate the remainder of the game.
The turning point came when goals by Corey Perry and Derek Ryan were called back after video reviews. It took some time to make the first call, but ultimately, The Situation Room in Toronto ruled that Perry had a “significant presence in the crease,”. The goal was shockingly reversed, setting the wheels in motion for the Oilers to fall apart.
That frustration was compounded by a missed call on Flames forward Mikael Backlund, who slashed Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner without a penalty. The netminder was livid, giving the official an earful after the period ended.
The Oilers then had another goal disallowed when Derek Ryan’s goal was called back after it was deemed the Oilers were offside. That call was correct, and the goal shouldn’t have counted.
These key officiating decisions left Edmonton rattled, throwing the team off balance as the game progressed.
The Flames Took Over The Game Once the Oilers Were On Tilt
Edmonton managed to generate more shot attempts overall, but they failed to convert on crucial chances. Hitting the post three times was just another sign of how things were going to go for a team looking for their first win of the season. Once they’d determined the hockey gods weren’t on their side, the Oilers and their superstars caved.
In contrast, the Flames capitalized on Edmonton’s mounting frustration and defensive lapses. Calgary’s aggressive play in the second period marked a shift in momentum, with the Flames dominating in close and executing a well-rounded game plan under head coach Ryan Huska.
The Jonathan Huberdeau-Martin Pospisil-Anthony Mantha line epitomized Calgary’s dominance, leading to Mantha’s goal, which fully tilted the game in the Flames’ favor. From that point onward, Calgary’s persistence and physicality overwhelmed Edmonton.
Justin Kirkland scored his first career NHL goal and Huberdeau stayed hot, now with five points on the season. Rasmus Andersson was extremely productive and Dan Vladar picked up the win.
For Edmonton, the combination of disallowed goals, missed calls, and squandered chances left them searching for answers in what has been a frustrating stretch of games.
Meanwhile, Calgary is 3-0 to start the season. Few would have predicted that.
