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Beyond the Boxscore: Flames press Oilers for 40, fall off after Edmonton’s third period goals

Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

By Flash Stevens

Oct 29, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 29, 2026, 11:01 EDT

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The Flames fought hard for as long as they could, but ultimately fell to the Oilers without scoring, losing 4-0.

CF% – 46.58% || SCF% – 45.81% || HDCF% – 38.04% || xGF% – 44.47%

It’s a Team Game – While the score ended up 4-0, I thought the Flames put together a solid first 40 minutes. They had an effective counter attack, were keeping possession in the attacking zone for smaller spells, and got some good looks on Tristan Jarry. When the Oilers scored twice to start the third period that’s when the wind came out of the sails. It allowed the Oilers to play more conservative and limit what Calgary could create. The Flames only received one power play to try and aid in their comeback, the Oilers disciplined play kept what has been a top 5 unit in the NHL off the ice. They simply outmatched Calgary with their ability to finish (McDavid’s passing is ridiculous) and took the win. Devin Cooley went out with an injury in the win as well, with Dustin Wolf replacing him. Cooley has been their best player for the past 4 games, here’s hoping he’s alright.

Corsi King – Zayne Parekh (59.01 CF%) wasn’t phased by the Oilers. He kept playing his game, had a significant advantage in shot attempts for and did it all without surrendering a 5v5 goal. He continues to be dangerous and a catalyst for positive puck movement. I’m not sure the Flames have had a defenceman pass the puck with as much accuracy as him in the modern era – it’s worth tuning in just to watch and see what he can do. Mikael Backlund (54.43%) kept things pointed towards the Oilers end in his minutes as well, a good sign after he missed two games earlier this month.

Under Pressure –

Taken By Chance – Matvei Gridin (39.68 SCF% // 39.85 HDCF%) had the most high danger chances amongst the forwards. He and Ryan Strome (44.51% // 44.28%) both saw four, but gave up more than they took. I still view the creation of dangerous chances as a positive for a 20 year old winger in the NHL. Shout-out to Yan Kuznetsov (59.91% // 59.80%) as well, his partner keeps getting all the love, but he’s been just as good holding down the fort while Parekh (66.83% // 56.69%) flashes his skills. Without getting scored on I can say that pairing was on point.

xG Breakdown –

xGF% – Kevin Bahl (25.85 xGF%) and Simon Nemec (29.58%) finally had an off night. Nothing to worry about really, someone had to be McDavid’s primary match-up. That’s Bahl’s responsibility on this team now – the toughest match-ups nightly. He’s shown that he can thrive most nights, but the world’s best player is no light task. It wasn’t just Bahl – Nemec got lost in coverage a few times leaving his man open on the rush. Either way, if you’re good for eleven games then off for one I’ve got no real complaints.

Game Flow –

Shot Heatmap –

In The Crease – I thought Dustin Wolf was alright in relief. He faced 1.92 expected goals at 5v5 and had 2 get by him. He wasn’t at the level that Cooley was at prior to his injury, but that is an unreasonable expectation mid-game for someone who hasn’t played for the past 4 games. He’s got the opportunity now, it’s shifting back to him, can he find some success? The team in front of him has proven over the last two weeks they know how to work and know how to find wins, it’s up to Wolf to make the necessary stops to allow that to happen.

The Goals –

The Flames did not score any goals.

Flash’s 3 Stars –

1) Yan Kuznetsov

2) Zayne Parekh

3) Mikael Backlund

(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)

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