Flames start strong, then put away Oilers

Noah Hanifin scored twice in a three-point performance and the visiting Calgary Flames rode a three-goal first period to a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Nazem Kadri, Martin Pospisil, Dryden Hunt and Blake Coleman also scored as the Flames claimed their third consecutive win. Goaltender Dan Vladar made 32 saves. Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary collected two assists apiece.

Zach Hyman scored twice and Mattias Janmark added a goal for the Oilers, who have lost three straight. Goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. Connor McDavid collected two assists, giving him 18 assists in a seven-game stretch and points in 22 consecutive home games.

The Oilers are on a 4-5-1 skid following their 16-game winning streak and have surrendered at least three goals in all 10 outings.

Kadri opened the scoring 2:02 into the clash with the game's first shot. Kadri gained a step on McDavid's defending and neatly redirected Walker Duehr's pass into the top corner for his 21st goal of the season.

Pospisil doubled the lead with his second goal in as many outings and sixth of the campaign. Zary slipped a pass to Pospisil and the rookie from the slot ripped a shot over Skinner's shoulder.

Hanifin made it a 3-0 lead at 15:53 of the opening period when he hit the slot untouched and unloaded a perfect shot.

Hyman scored twice to make it a one-goal game — his first a power-play goal with 91 seconds remaining in the first period and his second with a breakaway at 4:34 of the second period to give him a career-best 37 goals on the season — but the Flames recovered and pulled away.

Hunt, in his eighth NHL game this season, restored Calgary's two-goal edge at 11:47 of the second period with a rocket of a shot from the slot to net his first goal since Jan. 17, 2023.

Hanifin's second of the game made it a 5-2 edge at 14:09 of the middle frame. While on the power play, Zary fired a cross-ice pass for Hanifin's one-timer to net his career-best 11th goal of the campaign.

Coleman notched his career-best 23rd of the season thanks to an empty-net goal with 7:09 remaining in regulation, and Janmark rounded out the scoring with his fourth of the season with 3:44 on the clock.

—Field Level Media