By Canadian Press

Kulak’s winner leads Oilers past Flames in 2-1 victory

Sep 30, 2022 | 10:28 PM

EDMONTON — Brett Kulak scored the game winner as the veteran-laden Edmonton Oilers earned a 2-1 pre-season win over the Calgary Flames on Friday.

Leon Draisaitl also scored the Oilers (2-2-0), who came off a 4-0 road loss to Calgary on Wednesday.

Dillon Dube put the Flames (3-2) on the board for their lone score on a night where most its top players sat out.

Edmonton goaltender Jack Campbell stopped 7-of-8 shots he faced in 31 minutes of action. Calvin Pickard made 14 saves in relief.

Calgary’s Daniel Vladar had a busy night stopping 36 shots in a losing effort.

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Edmonton opened the scoring 8:38 into the opening period with a short-handed marker as Kailer Yamamoto stole the puck deep in Calgary’s zone and sent a long pass through the crease to give Draisaitl an easy tap-in before Vladar could get across.

Calgary tied the game 15:49 into the first as some sloppy play behind the net led to a point-blank goal from Dube.

Pickard replaced Campbell just over halfway through the second period.

Also in the second, Oilers star Connor McDavid collided hard with teammate Evander Kane in the neutral zone and was slow to get up. However, McDavid returned to finish out the frame.

Edmonton took the lead 8:55 into the third period as Luke Esposito brought the puck into Calgary’s end before sending it to Kulak at the point, where he beat Vladar with a long shot.

The Oilers return to action Saturday to take on the Winnipeg Jets. The Flames next play Monday against the Seattle Kraken at home.

Notes: The Oilers have four pre-season games remaining to Calgary’s three … The two teams also played each other on Wednesday in Calgary with the Flames icing the more veteran lineup that night and earning a 4-0 victory … Edmonton fans got their first ever look at Campbell in an Oilers uniform in net. The former Toronto Maple Leaf starter bolted to Edmonton in free agency this summer, signing a five-year, US$25-million deal after posting a 31-9-6 record with the Leafs last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2022.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press