In a thrilling outdoor spectacle at Commonwealth Stadium, the Edmonton Oilers asserted their dominance over their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, securing a 5–2 victory in the 2023 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic. The Oilers snapped a four-game skid in front of a fervent sell-out crowd of 55,411.
The Oilers were dominant for much of the game. From start to finish, they were able to funnel pucks into the high-danger areas and make the ice heavily tilted in their favour. Despite their struggles in their losing skid, the team was still committed to the modern style of play of fighting for better shot quality over quantity, and against the struggling Flames, the effort paid off.
Edmonton’s outdoor goals came from multiple sources, marking a balanced offensive effort. Brett Kulak, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Vincent Desharnais all found the back of the net, in addition to Evander Kane‘s empty-netter.
The goaltending wasn’t tested as much, as the Flames weren’t as cerebral in their efforts for high-danger shots. Compare the shot charts below and it’s abundantly clear that the game was a tale of two entirely different styles of play.
The win sees the Oilers jump from 31st in the league to 30th, but it may mark a sign of better things to come.
Game events
Goals
| Goal | Assists | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Kulak | Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | 04:19 | 1st | CGY 0 – 1 EDM |
| Zach Hyman | Leon Draisaitl | 09:38 | 1st | CGY 0 – 2 EDM |
| Nazem Kadri (PPG) | MacKenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau | 14:55 | 1st | CGY 1 – 2 EDM |
| Evan Bouchard | Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid | 16:06 | 1st | CGY 1 – 3 EDM |
| A.J. Greer (PPG) | MacKenzie Weegar, Jacob Markstrom | 11:28 | 2nd | CGY 2 – 3 EDM |
| Vincent Desharnais | Evander Kane, Zach Hyman | 06:16 | 3rd | CGY 2 – 4 EDM |
| Evander Kane | Unassisted | 19:13 | 3rd | CGY 2 – 5 EDM |
All situations Corsi
5v5 Corsi
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