Flames score three late goals in 6-5 shootout win over Oilers split squad

EDMONTON – Sven Baertschi and Roman Horak scored in the shootout to give the Calgary Flames a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers in NHL pre-season play Saturday.

The Flames scored three times in a 4:08 span after the midway point of the third period to erase a 5-2 Edmonton lead. Josh Jooris scored twice in 2:02 span after Lance Bouma, with his second of the night, started the rally just past the 10-minute mark.

Neither team could score in the five-minute overtime when Edmonton survived a two-minute penalty.

Veteran Taylor Hall had set the table for Edmonton early by scoring 24 seconds into the split-squad game and the Oilers appeared on their way to victory over the Flames until Calgary’s third-period rally.

Edmonton held period leads of 3-1 and 5-2 in the surprisingly tame affair that lacked the usual intensity seen from players trying to earn jobs. Both teams split their rosters to play in both Edmonton and Calgary — the Oilers won 3-2 at the Saddledome — and there was plenty of opportunity for the non-roster players to step up.

Instead, for much of the night it resembled about game No. 70 of an 82-game schedule between teams having no chance of making the playoffs. Neither Calgary nor Edmonton has been in post-season play the last four seasons.

None of the four goaltenders had impressive starts. Both Edmonton netminders – Devan Dubnyk and Olivier Roy – and Calgary starter Karri Ramo, all gave up goals on the first shot they faced. The Flames’ second goalie, Reto Berra was beaten on a wrap-around on the rebound off his first save.

Edmonton got goals from veterans Ryan Smyth and Hall, who is making the switch from winger to centre while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is injured, and three others fighting to make the team – Kyle Platzer, Mark Arcobello and Jesse Joensuu. Besides Jooris and Bouma, Calgary got goals from Ben Street and Dennis Wideman.

Neither coach did much line shuffling, electing instead to go with set units throughout the game. Assistant coach Keith Acton, behind the bench for Edmonton, had to make one change after Ales Hemsky left early in the second period and did not return.