Oilers 2 Flames 1
CALGARY — Gaetan Haas scored the eventual game-winner for the Edmonton Oilers in a 2-1 win Friday over the host Calgary Flames.
Jesse Puljujarvi scored his fifth goal in his last seven games for Edmonton (11-8-0). Oilers goaltender Mike Smith turned away 20 shots for his second straight win.
Defenceman Rasmus Andersson scored for Calgary (8-8-1). David Rittich made 23 saves in his third start of the season.
The Flames gave Jacob Markstrom the night off after he started seven games in a row and 14 of Calgary’s first 16.
The Oilers knotted this season’s Battle of Alberta at 1-1 ahead of ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Edmonton.
The Flames won the first of 10 meetings 6-4 at home Feb. 6.
The two clubs combined for over 100 minutes in their final clash last season, but the provincial rivalry has been slow to boil in 2020-21.
Calgary and Edmonton combined for five minors Friday.
Calgary centre Sean Monahan was scratched with a lower-body injury, which shifted Johnny Gaudreau to a line with centre Elias Lindholm and right-winger Dillon Dube.
Haas made it 2-0 for the visitors at 17:55 of the second period. Andersson halved the deficit 45 seconds later.
Gaudreau deked Tyson Barrie in the corner and dished to Andersson to beat Smith’s glove with a wrist shot.
Rittich made the initial save on Haas, but was tangled with a prone teammate Noah Hanifin when Haas chipped the puck over the goalie’s right pad on a second effort.
Calgary trailed after the first period for the 10th time in 17 games.
Barrie skated the puck down low to stretch Calgary’s defence and fed an all-alone Puljujarvi on Rittich’s doorstep at 5:41 of the first period.
Notes: The Flames went scoreless on three power-play chances and the Oilers went 0-for-2… . Oilers forward Zack Kassian was scratched for a fifth straight game. He hasn’t played since fighting Ottawa’s Erik Gudbranson on Feb. 8.