By Canadian Press

Gaetan Haas scores game-winner for Oilers in 2-1 win over Flames

Feb 19, 2021 | 10:44 PM

CALGARY — Gaetan Haas scored the eventual game-winner for the Edmonton Oilers in a 2-1 win Friday over the host Calgary Flames.

Jesse Puljujarvi scored his fifth goal in his last seven games for Edmonton (11-8-0). Oilers goaltender Mike Smith turned away 20 shots for his second straight win.

Defenceman Rasmus Andersson scored for Calgary (8-8-1). David Rittich made 23 saves in his third start of the season.

The Flames gave Jacob Markstrom the night off after he started seven games in a row and 14 of Calgary’s first 16.

The Oilers knotted this season’s Battle of Alberta at 1-1 ahead of ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Edmonton.

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The Flames won the first of 10 meetings 6-4 at home Feb. 6. 

The two clubs combined for over 100 minutes in their final clash last season, but the provincial rivalry has been slow to boil in 2020-21. 

Calgary and Edmonton combined for five minors Friday.

Calgary centre Sean Monahan was scratched with a lower-body injury, which shifted Johnny Gaudreau to a line with centre Elias Lindholm and right-winger Dillon Dube.

Haas made it 2-0 for the visitors at 17:55 of the second period. Andersson halved the deficit 45 seconds later.

Gaudreau deked Tyson Barrie in the corner and dished to Andersson to beat Smith’s glove with a wrist shot.

Rittich made the initial save on Haas, but was tangled with a prone teammate Noah Hanifin when Haas chipped the puck over the goalie’s right pad on a second effort.

 Calgary trailed after the first period for the 10th time in 17 games.

Barrie skated the puck down low to stretch Calgary’s defence and fed an all-alone Puljujarvi on Rittich’s doorstep at 5:41 of the first period.

Notes: The Flames went scoreless on three power-play chances and the Oilers went 0-for-2. . . . Oilers forward Zack Kassian was scratched for a fifth straight game. He hasn’t played since fighting Ottawa’s Erik Gudbranson on Feb. 8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2021.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press