Nazem Kadri scored for visiting Calgary to end an eight-round shootout and complete the Flames’ 4-3 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night.
Matvei Gridin scored in his first NHL game, Connor Zary and Blake Coleman also tallied and Dustin Wolf made 32 saves for the Flames, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period.
Leon Draisaitl scored his 400th NHL goal and added an assist for the Oilers.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and two assists, Andrew Mangiapane also scored, Connor McDavid had two assists and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves for Edmonton, which lost its third straight season opener. Draisaitl finished with two points.
Gridin cut the deficit to 3-1 at 12:40 of the second period when his centering pass from the right circle went off the stick of Oilers forward Noah Philp and into the net.
Calgary scored 2:07 later on a power play when Zary knocked a loose puck into the net. The play was reviewed for a high stick, but the goal counted, cutting the gap to 3-2 at 14:47.
The Flames took advantage of a miscommunication by Edmonton 40 seconds into the third period to tie it 3-3.
Zary took a bouncing shot from the neutral zone directly at Skinner, who made the stop and left the puck for Evan Bouchard, but the defenseman skated by and Coleman poked it into net.
In the first period, Calgary center Morgan Frost sent the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty at 8:51, and the Oilers took advantage. Nugent-Hopkins stuffed the puck across the goal line for a 1-0 lead at 9:53.
Edmonton added to its lead after McDavid drove to the Calgary net, drawing four defenders. He circled back above the right circle and made a cross-ice pass to Mangiapane, who scored with a wrist shot from the left circle to make it 2-0 at 16:11 of the first.
The Oilers scored on their second power play to extend the lead to 3-0 at 8:32 of the second period.
After receiving a pass with his back to the crease, David Tomasek made a backhand no-look pass through Wolf’s legs to Draisaitl, who scored his milestone goal with a one-timer from in close.
It was also the first NHL point for Tomasek, who was making his NHL debut.
–Field Level Media
