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Turkey legs slow Oilers in post-Christmas break loss to Flames: Recap, Reaction and Highlights
Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Dec 28, 2025, 01:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 28, 2025, 01:10 EST
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Well, that was a let down.
Not only did the Edmonton Oilers lose 3-2 to the Calgary Flames on Saturday evening, but it was a rather docile affair in terms of chipiness. Let’s take a look at what went on in this game.
Seven minutes into the first period, the Flames got on the board thanks to Yegor Sharangovich. The Belarusian forward was all alone in the slot when Adam Klapka’s pass from behind the net connected. Nice shot to rip it past Connor Ingram.
On the next shift, the Oilers drew a penalty to head to their lethal power play. Towards the end of it, the Oilers got on the board, as Evan Bouchard one-timed it past Dustin Wolf to tie the game at one.
The Flames were given a gift about three and a half minutes into the middle frame, as Alec Regula panicked and centred the pass when he was dealing with a forecheck. Unfortunately, Ryan Lomberg was the first one it, ripping it past Ingram to make it 2-1 Flames.
Moving to the third period, the Flames scored the game-winning goal with seven and a half minutes left in the game. Just like the first goal, the trailing player wasn’t picked up (this time on a three-on-two), allowing Blake Coleman to beat Ingram after a handful of passes.
With just under five minutes left in the third period, the Oilers got to within one as Connor McDavid pounced on a rebound to extend his point streak to 12 games. Unfortunately, the Oilers were unable to find the game-tying goal despite a few chances.

Takeaways…

Tuesday’s game got chippy, but that didn’t carry over to Saturday’s game, which is a bit disappointing. There were a few big hits, but nothing to hype up the two team’s next matchup on Feb. 4.
It’s hard to argue that Connor Ingram shouldn’t be their backup goaltender for the remainder of the season. Facing 32 shots, the netminder was able to stop 29 of them for a .906 save percentage. He’s such a calming presence inside the net and he made a big save late in the game to give the Oilers a chance.
Evan Bouchard had a strong game, playing a game-high 29:04. On top of his seventh goal of the season, the right-shot defenceman blocked three shots and took four of his own. He defended well on the rush as well, breaking up multiple opportunities.
Unsurprisingly, the Oilers’ bottom six was nearly invisible. Matthew Savoie was the lone bright spot, and even then he didn’t do a whole lot. Andrew Mangiapane took a penalty and also had a quiet game. Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic? They were playing? It’s clear that will be an area the Oilers need to upgrade before the trade deadline.
With Connor McDavid’s goal late in the third period, his point streak has now extended to 12 games. Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up two assists, while Bouchard accounted for the other goal and other assist.
This was the fourth time the Oilers had an opportunity to win three consecutive games, and all three times, they’ve come up short. First was a 4-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, then a 4-1 loss to the Montréal Canadiens, and then a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. They need to figure it out.
They’ll have another opportunity to start a winning streak on Monday, as they head to Winnipeg to face the Jets at 5:30 PM MT. Their final game in the calendar year is a matchup against the Boston Bruins on New Year’s eve at 7:30 PM MT.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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