CALGARY — Dillon Dube opened the scoring in the first period with a beautiful goal, and Brett Pollock scored a pair to lead the Calgary Flames over the Edmonton Oilers 7-3 on Sunday in the first of two matchups between provincial rivals’ rookie squads.
Dube, one of the Flames’ two second-round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft, flew down the right wing with the puck then pivoted as if to make a cross-ice pass before sniping a shot past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.
"He always had that speed, he’s always around the puck (and) in a game like that he was able to showcase that speed has grown to a high level right now," said coach Cail MacLean, who is the assistant bench boss for the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Edmonton’s first-round selection (10th overall) this past June, defenceman Evan Bouchard, proceeded to tie the game up at 1-1 with a blast from the point with a few minutes left in the first period.
Pollock, a 2014 second rounder, restored Calgary’s lead in the second, gathering a rebound off a shot from the blueline and putting a wraparound past a sliding Skinner.
The Flames held the lead from that point on.
The 22-year-old Pollock added a second goal in the third frame.
Andrew Mangiapane, Jake Christiansen, Juuso Valimaki and Glenn Gawdin also found the back of the net for the Flames.
Cooper Marody and Caleb Jones added third-period goals for the Oilers.
Tyler Benson, who set up Jones’ marker with a nifty move, was one of the lone bright spots for Edmonton.
"He is a slick player in traffic and has quick hands in tight. As I said, his gift is his vision to find that open player and he showed it tonight throughout all three period," said coach Jay Woodcroft, who manages the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.
A second Battle of Alberta is slated between the two rookie squads in Red Deer, Alta., on Wednesday.
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