Oilers’ Power Play Dominates Battle of Alberta as Edmonton Tops Calgary
CALGARY — The margin in the Battle of Alberta was not subtle. It was structural.
Edmonton’s power play dictated the night through constant motion, quick reads, and pressure that never allowed Calgary’s penalty killers to settle. The puck carrier was always moving, changing direction, pulling coverage apart. It was less about one look and more about forcing defenders into continuous decisions. Calgary never found its footing.
The Oilers were given five power-play opportunities. Against a unit built on pace and precision, that was too many.
Leon Draisaitl converted three times on the man advantage, completing a power-play hat trick, while Connor McDavid conducted the game with control and timing that bent coverage until it broke. Edmonton’s power play did not rely on static setups or stationary shooters. It flowed, reset, and attacked again, using movement as the primary weapon.
Calgary briefly responded at even strength when MacKenzie Weegar struck from the blue line late in the first period to level the score. It was a moment of pushback, but it did not shift the underlying momentum. Penalties continued to pile up, and Edmonton continued to capitalize.
By the third period, the game had tilted decisively. Edmonton extended its lead and closed with authority, turning discipline and execution into separation on the scoreboard.
The win marks Edmonton’s 19th of the season and pulls the Oilers into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Vegas and Anaheim at 44 points heading into the Christmas break. It is a position earned through consistency and reinforced by elite special teams.
For Calgary, the picture remains tight but complicated. The Flames sit at 15 wins and 34 points. They are only five points out of a playoff spot, but five teams stand between them and the final wild card position in the Western Conference. The math keeps them in the race. The margins leave little room for nights like this.
Discipline is not a detail against teams like Edmonton. It is the difference.
At the break, the standings show separation. On the ice, the power play made it unmistakable.