Sam Gagner broke a third-period tie with a fortuitous goal and the visiting Edmonton Oilers claimed their 13th consecutive win with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
Ryan McLeod and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, whose mark of a baker’s dozen consecutive wins are the most by a Canadian-based team in NHL history. The 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens won 12 in a row, while the longest win streak in NHL history is 17 by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Stuart Skinner made 26 saves to win his 10th consecutive start.
The win was also Edmonton’s franchise-record ninth consecutive on the road.
MacKenzie Weegar replied for the Flames, who have lost two straight games. Goalie Dan Vladar stopped 29 shots in a sparkling performance spoiled by the game-winning goal.
Gagner put the Oilers ahead a second time 99 seconds into the third with a pure luck goal. From the corner, he sent the puck to the front of the net, and it banked off a defender’s stick and the glove of a startled Vladar for his fifth of the season.
From there, the Oilers held the fort against a Flames squad that matched them all the way to the final buzzer. The Oilers, who have won 21 of 24 games, have historically not been known for their defensive prowess, but have gone a franchise-record 11 consecutive games surrendering two or fewer goals.
Hyman iced the game with an empty-net goal with 35 seconds remaining, his 28th of the season.
Thanks to Vladar, the Flames had an opportunity to snap the winning spree of their biggest rivals. From the drop of the puck, the Oilers generated waves of opportunities, including a handful of breakaways, but Vladar stood tall.
Finally, McLeod opened the scoring at the 15:03 mark when he was sprung alone and converted for his ninth goal of the season.
Weegar evened the score with his 10th of the campaign. The defenseman joined an odd-man rush, took the pass and lifted home a shot at 1:58 of the second period.
–Field Level Media
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