Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames
McDavid gets first multipoint game, Oilers beat Flames 5-2
CALGARY, Alberta -- Connor McDavid scored twice and added an assist for the first multipoint game of his young career, and each of Edmonton's four first-overall draft picks scored as the Oilers beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Saturday night.
McDavid broke a 1-1 tie with 3:29 left in the second period. After carrying the puck through the neutral zone, the 18-year-old used Kris Russell as a screen and scored past Jonas Hiller on a long wrist shot.
With his parents in attendance, this year's first-overall pick then capped the scoring with 3:40 left in the third, converting Taylor Hall's pass for a power-play goal that brought out boos from Flames fans and loud cheers from the many Oilers fans in attendance.
Hall also had a three-point game for Edmonton (1-4-0), with a goal and two assists. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov also scored.
David Jones scored both goals for Calgary (1-4-0), giving him three on the season. The Flames had won seven in a row against their provincial rival.
Hall made it 3-1 just 25 seconds into the third period when Oscar Klefbom centered a puck from deep in the corner that he was able to deflect past Hiller.
McDavid picked up his first career assist at 2:59 of the third, stripping the puck from Flames captain Mark Giordano and setting up a tic-tac-toe passing play that was finished off by Yakupov, who one-timed Benoit Pouliot's set-up.
Jones got a power-play goal at 10:14 to get the Flames back to within two, but that's as close as they could get.
Cam Talbot only had to make 22 saves to win his first game as an Oiler and improve to 1-3-0. The former New York Ranger was signed in the summer as a free agent.
Hiller had 23 saves to fall to 1-2-0.
Calgary tied it 1-1 5:07 into the second period. Strong work along the end boards by Micheal Ferland got the puck back to the point, where Dennis Wideman ripped a slap shot that was deflected by Jones and squeezed through the legs of Talbot.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead at 12:59.
Eric Gryba's slap shot was stopped by Hiller, but the rebound into the slot was buried by Nugent-Hopkins. It came three minutes after Nugent-Hopkins had rung a shot off the goal post.
Game notes
The last time Calgary lost its first three games at home was 2000-01. ... Calgary's Sam Bennett (upper body) did not play. Markus Granlund made his season debut in his place. In a resulting shuffle, Mason Raymond moved up to play on a line with Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik. ... The Oilers made one line-up change at forward with Rob Klinkhammer drawing in for Russian rookie Anton Slepyshev. ... The Oilers departed immediately after the game as they play Sunday night in Vancouver.
Regular Season Series
EDM leads 1-0
Game Information
- Referees:
- Greg Kimmerly
- Linesmen:
- Darren Gibbs
- Vaughan Rody

