Oilers Update - Oil Burn. Flames Win 5-3

Reporting from Rome, Italy

They probably should’ve won in the first two minutes of the game…but after a Calgary time-out the bad guys from Southern Alberta saw red and burned another 2 points in the win column and defeated their foes of the North.

Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers lost to the visiting Calgary Flames at Rexall Place.  The Oilers who had a 2 goal lead early in the game, couldn’t handle the pressure of the Calgary Flames’ offense led by Olli Jokinen’s two goals. 

5-3 Flames.

“It could’ve gotten away from us there.  They were really rolling. I thought we wer going to get a beating.  Fortunately we took a timeout and calmed down and camre right back with a goal on the power play and got out feet back into us and back into it. said Jokinen. “It wasn’t the start we wanted to have” he admitted.  “We needed to get back to our game and play good defence agains this team.  They are probably the most skilled team in the National Hockey League.  They have a lot of offence.  If you try to play their style, you are going to lose 10-0.”

After Lennart Petrell and Sam Gagner fooled Mikka Kiprusoff with some fluky, early goals the Flames’ bench boss prompted a Calgary time-out.  The time-out worked.  Less than 4 minutes later the game was tied and the Flames held the Oilers at bay for the rest of the game.

“We need to ride the momentum better.  We’ve been like that all year.  When things get high, teams come right back at us, we don’t ride the wave that well.  When we learn to do that we’ll bury team.  We won’t give them a chance.  We can put a team down we just have to keep them down.” said blue collar forward Ryan Jones about his teams lack consistency.

The Oilers coach would agree with Jones, but would add that the team just needs to compete a little harder.  Highly skilled teams CAN compete better.

“Calgary found a way to fight their way back into it” said Tom Renney  “We’ve just got to compete, and harder than we have been lately because it hasn’t been enough.”

The Oilers and Flames will face each other once again in Calgary next Saturday

Injury report.

The Oilers were once again without the services of Taylor Hall who is out with a shoulder injury for a couple of weeks or more. Also Anton Lander who still has an infected hand but could be back in the line-up soon.