Flames win wild, high-scoring game 1 to draw first blood in Battle of Alberta

The highly-anticipated Battle of Alberta did not disappoint in game one Wednesday night, but it certainly wasn’t what people were expecting.

Someone will need to change the bulbs in the red lights at the Saddledome after 15 goals were scored in the series opener, a 9-6 Flames win.

Absolutely wild night in #yyc 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X6hHei1IA6

— y - Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 19, 2022

It was not the start the Oilers wanted, in both the game and series, as the home fans didn’t have to wait long to celebrate some goals.

Elias Lindholm opened the scoring just 21 seconds in and Andrew Mangiapane added another in the opening minute to make it 2-0 Calgary.

After Brett Ritchie extended the lead to three just six minutes into the first, the night was over for Mike Smith as he was pulled in favour of Mikko Koskinen.

R2, Gm1: Brett Ritchie scores against the Edmonton Oilers to make it 3-0 #CGYvsEDM #Flames #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/XFBEj4mEoe

— nopClips (@nopClips) May 19, 2022

That seemed to settle Edmonton down and it didn’t take long for a response courtesy of captain Connor McDavid, who scored less than two minutes after Ritchie to cut the lead to two.

It stayed 3-1 for the rest of the first period, but after four goals in the opening frame, the scoring somehow picked up even more in the second.

Blake Coleman made it 4-1 with another goal in the opening minute of a period and added his second of the game just over five minutes later.

Better make that a double for Blake Coleman! ✌️#StanleyCup | #BattleofAlberta | #Flames pic.twitter.com/PSsk0nNVUv

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 19, 2022

A casual Oilers fan may have turned the game off at that point, but after Evan Bouchard and Matthew Tkachuk traded goals, the Oilers went on quite the run to pull themselves back in the game.

Zach Hyman scored a pair before Leon Draisaitl netted his first of the series and all of a sudden it was 6-5 Flames after 40 minutes.

Then, just 90 seconds into the final frame, Kailer Yamamoto tied things up at six apiece with his second goal of the playoffs.

So @kailer_yamamoto tied the game... 😱 #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/XQMXG00WZo
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/pcP9wZYdwn pic.twitter.com/lQRXZNUFeG

— NHL (@NHL) May 19, 2022

Fans at the Saddledome were shocked, but they quickly had something to cheer about as Rasmus Andersson beat Koskinen to restore the Calgary lead at 7-6.

Tkachuk’s second of the game just shy of the nine-minute mark made it 8-6 and Tkachuk would later add an empty netter to seal the Flames win with his first career playoff hat trick.

While one team is happier than the other after game one, a 9-6 affair definitely isn’t what either coach had in mind.

It’s safe to assume there will be some adjustments made at practice today before the teams take the ice for game two in Calgary on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm PT.

_{Thumbnail photo courtesy of Getty Images.}