BY THE CANADIAN PRESS
Oilers 4 Flames 2
EDMONTON — Tyler Pitlick had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers won their pre-season debut at the new Rogers Place Arena, coming away with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames in a split-squad game on Monday.
Iiro Pakarinen, Ryan Vesce and Kris Versteeg also scored for the Oilers.
Kenney Morrison and Freddie Hamilton replied with the goals for the Flames.
Edmonton got the first goal in its new building, as Pakarinen banked home a rebound during a scramble in front of Flames starting goalie Jon Gilles.
Calgary countered with seven minutes remaining in the opening frame when Mark Jankowski sprung Morrison for a partial breakaway and beat Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot high to the glove side.
The Flames went up 2-1 not long afterwards as a Hamilton shot banked off Edmonton defender Oscar Klefbom and dribbled past Talbot.
Eetu Laurikainen came in to replace Talbot in the Edmonton net for the third period.
The Oilers tied the game three-and-a-half minutes into the third on the power play as late training camp invite Vesce tipped a Matthew Benning shot past Gilles.
Edmonton grabbed the lead six minutes into the third as Pitlick swooped in to deposit the rebound of Taylor Beck’s backhander on the doorstep.
Midway through the third, Oilers college free-agent signing Drake Caggiula was awarded a penalty shot, but shot the puck over the net.
The Oilers made it 4-2 as Pitlick made a nice feed to set up NHL veteran and PTO camp invitee Versteeg.
Notes: The Oilers also beat the Flames 2-1 in Calgary in another split-squad game Monday. … Edmonton’s official opener for regular season play is on October 12th against the Flames. … Oilers centres Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will join the team for camp on Tuesday. They took a few days off after suiting up for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey.
Oilers 2 Flames 1
CALGARY — Anton Slepyshev broke a scoreless tie 7:10 into the third period and Jere Sallinen had the empty-net winner as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Monday in NHL pre-season action.
Darnell Nurse’s point shot missed the net but the 22-year-old Slepyshev banked a shot from below the goal line past goaltender Mason McDonald on the carom off the end boards.
Sallinen put Edmonton ahead 2-0 with an empty netter with 1:03 remaining before Mark Giordano scored the Flames’ only goal with nine seconds left on the clock.
Jonas Gustavsson got the start and made 10 saves for the Oilers. Former Flames draft pick Lauren Brossoit played the other half, making 22 saves.
McDonald entered the game to start the third period after Brian Elliott was perfect on 12 shots faced in his Flames debut.
Elliott, 31, is Calgary’s new No. 1 goaltender after being acquired in the off-season in a trade with the St. Louis Blues.
Troy Brouwer, Elliott’s Blues teammate from last year, was on a line with Sam Bennett and 2016 first round pick Matthew Tkachuk.
Bennett and Brouwer created all sorts of chances all night long but couldn’t find the net.
Brouwer slammed his stick on the ice in frustration in the third period when he missed the net after being set up in the slot.
Notes: The Flames dressed the more experienced line-up with TJ Brodie, Dennis Wideman and Matt Stajan among the most experienced. Nail Yakupov, Matt Hendricks and Patrick Maroon were among only a handful of veterans for the Oilers.