Oilers win goaltending duel in Calgary

CALGARY Score one for the goalies. Please! For most of a rather sluggish night offensively, it didn’t look as if the Edmonton Oilers would be able to provide their stellar goaltending tandem with any kind of run support, but they got it done Monday in a 2-1 split squad decision at the Saddledome in Calgary.

While Edmonton’s blue-collar lineup struggled to generate much, Edmonton keepers Jonas Gustavsson and Laurent Brossoit looked in mid-season form, delivering the win on a night they were outshot 33-21.

Anton Slepyshev and Jere Sallinen scored third-period goals in the win while Mark Giordano spoiled the shutout with nine seconds left in the game when he put a rocket over Brossoit’s shoulder.

Calgary went with former St. Louis Blue Brian Elliott in the first 40 minutes (he stopped all 12 shots he faced) and 2014 second-round draft pick Mason McDonald in the final period.

Edmonton generated just 12 shots through 40 minutes, with a lineup that featured Patrick Maroon, Anton Lander and Nail Yakupov as its first line and Matt Hendricks, Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian as its second.

The Oilers went 0-for-3 with the man advantage through 40 minutes before Slepyshev, who had a quick start in last year’s camp, opened the scoring on their fourth at 7:10 of the third period.

Slepyshev actually scored from behind the net, banking one off McDonald to give Edmonton the 1-0 lead while they were being outshot 22-14.

Gustavsson didn’t get a ton of work in the Oilers net, but did look good when he had to. He played just under 30 minutes and didn’t allow a goal on 11 Flames shots.

Brossoit came in the for second half and made two stellar saves in the opening moments.

He also stole a pair of sure goals from Troy Brouwer later in the third to keep it scoreless.

With Calgary’s net empty and the Flames pressing for the win, Sallinen scored the easiest breakaway goal he’ll ever get to the put the game out of reach.

It’s the second year in the row the Oilers swept both games of the split squad game. LATE HITS: Oilers Braden Christoffer and Flames Ryan Lomberg turned in a pretty decent second period scrap … Christoffer also had a first period breakaway but had the puck poked off his stick on a nice play by Elliott.