Oilers top Flames to set record for longest win streak by Canadian NHL team

Sam Gagner’s fluke goal was the game winner and Stuart Skinner made 26 saves as the Edmonton Oilers won their 13th game in a row with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night over the Calgary Flames.

The Oilers’ milestone is the longest win streak by a Canadian team in NHL history, passing the 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens, who won 12 in a row.

Ryan McLeod and Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, into an empty net. Held off the scoresheet for the first time during the streak, Connor McDavid’s 12-game scoring streak came to an end.

The Oilers nine consecutive road wins shatter the old franchise record of eight set in 1986-87. And Kris Knoblauch improves to 23-6-0 since taking over as head coach.

MacKenzie Weegar had the lone goal for Calgary, which has dropped consecutive games after a four-game winning streak. Nazem Kadri’s eight-game scoring streak was also snapped.

Skinner has won 10 games in a row, he’s 17-2-0 in his last 19 starts, and improves to 21-9-1 on the season.

Dan Vladar was excellent in net for the Flames, making 31 stops. His record falls to 7-7-2.

Deadlocked at 1-1 after 40 minutes, Edmonton took its second lead on Gagner’s goal at 1:39 into the third.

From below the goal line near the corner, Gagner’s attempt to centre the puck to Dylan Holloway in the slot deflected off the skate of Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson and went on net instead where it caught the top of the trapper of an unsuspecting Vladar and fluttered into the net.

Battle of Alberta returns with nostalgic flare

In the first game between the provincial rivals since the Heritage Classic in Edmonton, both teams wore their same retro look from that outdoor game.

The first Battle of Alberta in Calgary in over a year also featured a showdown between the Flames, who had scored three or more goals in their last six games, and the Oilers, who had allowed two goals or fewer in their last 10 games.

Edmonton was the better team in the first period with Vladar forced to make several high calibre stops, especially in the early going when the Oilers had a bunch of dangerous chances.

Five minutes in, Vladar stopped Warren Foegele on his initial shot and again on the rebound after he was set up alone in front by Evander Kane.

A minute later, McDavid bowled his way past Noah Hanifin to get in alone only to be denied.