Six different Flames prospects score in 6-5 triumph over Oilers
EDMONTON — After watching highway traffic fade away in the rear view mirror, the Flames prospects found their gear Friday night at Rogers Place, dispatching their provincial rivals from Edmonton 6-5 in the first of two rookie Battles of Alberta this weekend.
Six different skaters – Hunter Laing, Nathan Brisson, Sam Honzek, Aydar Suniev, Matvei Gridin and Parker Bell – found the back of the net as Calgary rode the strength of a three-goal middle stanza to collect the victory.
The hosts struck first 4:25 into the first period, going ahead on a breakaway tally from forward Viljami Marjala.
But the lead was short-lived, Calgary’s prospects answered back just under four minutes later thanks to Laing, who drove to the front of the net, and accepted a centring feed from linemate Brisson before chipping the disk over the left pad of Edmonton starter Samuel Jonsson.
Hunter Laing ties it up in Rookie Game against Oilers
Netminder Owen Say came through with a pair of clutch saves in period one, too, his best sequence coming in the form of two pad stops off Matt Savoie and Ike Howard after Savoie had sprung in free and clear on goal.
The score remained level at the end of the first intermission, but in period two, the momentum continued to swing in Calgary’s favour.
Brisson put the away side ahead at the 6:39 mark, niftily redirecting a hard net-front pass from Jacob Battaglia past the right arm of Jonsson.
Nathan Brisson redirects the feed to give the Flames rookies the lead
Two minutes later, Honzek got in on the action on a Flames powerplay. Standing to the left of the Edmonton cage, he watched a hard, cross-ice pass come his way from Gridin, only to have it carom into the net off his right skate.
Honzek strikes on the powerplay to extend the lead
Suniev rounded out the three-goal middle stanza with a quick one-timer with 1:39 left on the clock. Standing in the slot, he took a pass from Carter King and snapped it low on goal, the puck slipping just past Jonsson’s left skate and into the open net.
Suniev scores the Flames fourth unanswered goal in Edmonton
Savoie added a second for the Oilers 6:17 into the third period on a penalty shot, but the Flames prospects kept pressing.
Gridin restored the three-goal lead at 8:48 on a pretty passing play. Brisson crossed the line on the right wing and sifted a backhand pass through the high slot, which Battaglia let skip through his legs through to Gridin.
The 2024 first-rounder then tried to return the favour, but his pass was blocked back onto his stick, and seeing no other option, the Russian fired the puck from an impossible angle past netminder Josh Banini.
Gridin banks it in after the pretty passing play
Bell added a sixth marker for Calgary 20 seconds later, ripping a puck past Banini from the left circle.
Bell takes advantage of the time and space to strike
And that goal stood up as the decider, as the Flames were forced to withstand a furious Edmonton rally to preserve the victory, the hosts tallying three times in the final five minutes of regulation time, including a Quinn Hutson shot with two seconds left that rounded out the evening’s offence.
Gridin and Brisson each finished the contest with a goal and two helpers, while Laing, Suniev and Jacob Battaglia all enjoyed multi-point games.
The two sides will meet again Sunday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the Flames NextGen Showcase. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. MT, tickets are available HERE.
“They handled themselves really well”
“Playing with him, you’re always going to get chances to score”
“Everyone brings skill and we just work together”
“We found our game”
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