The Edmonton Oilers took control of the Battle of Alberta Sunday night at Rogers Place with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
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Connor McDavid’s side took a 2-1 lead in the second-round series between the two Alberta clubs. Visibly inspired to stand in front of their fans, the Oilers prevailed, dominating particularly the first third with a 21-7 on shots.
However, the winner opened the scoring in the first minute of the second period. Zach Hyman used a power play to place the puck behind goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The remainder of the middle period was Evander Kane’s business. The forward scored a natural hat-trick in six minutes. He brought his total goals since the start of the playoffs to 10.
Leon Draisaitl wasn’t left out, he who was an accomplice to the Oilers’ four wins. For his part, McDavid racked up three assists. The talented No. 97 became the first player in National League history to collect more than a point in nine of the first ten playoff games in a single year.
In front of the Edmonton cage, Mike Smith got up at the right time in this duel. He stopped 28 shots before being forced out of play in the final third with just over 11 minutes to go. The 40-year-old veteran was hit behind his net by Milan Lucic and suffered a concussion. However, he came back to play the final seven minutes of the game and gave up on an Oliver Kylington shot. Mikko Koskinen, relieved for about four minutes, did not have to fire any shots.
In addition, Lucic was kicked out of the game for his gesture and the Oilers earned a five-minute power play without being able to use it.
The Oilers and Flames return for Game 4 of their series Tuesday night.