Updated on 06.32 | Published on 06.29
New York. The Edmonton Oilers just needed to venture out to greener pastures — or rather, white pastures — to become themselves again.
They played their best game of the season in tonight’s outdoor drama against Calgary, finally snapping a four-game losing streak.
– This kind of event can be exactly what you need when you really need to win, says Mattias Ekholm to Sportbladet after the 5-2 win.
The Edmonton Oilers, to everyone’s surprise, have started the season very poorly and have only won one game as of last night.
But outdoors during the Heritage Classic game against the arch-rival Calgary Flames at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium – known since the 2001 World Championships in Athletics – the ball got loose.
The Oil City stars were finally recognized, as they dominated from the start and won fairly 5-2.
“It was my third outdoor match and my first victory, so I feel really good,” says defender Mattias Ekholm when we catch him in the car on the way home afterwards.
– We really needed that victory too, and when you do, this kind of event can be exactly what we need. You get to be part of something new and have family and friends there and automatically hone your skills.
So what’s the big difference from previous opening weeks?
-We came back to ourselves again, played with confidence and used our main weapons. It’s a bit funny with hockey, we know we’re a good team and we shouldn’t be playing the way we did, but sometimes you don’t feel it anyway. Now we had it.
1/3Photograph: Jason Franson/AP
Connor McDavid – back from his injury – and his friends didn’t have to freeze either.
– No, the conditions were the best I have ever witnessed in these contexts. The temperature was perfect, there was no wind, there was enough sunlight for the first period and then evening came, says Ike.
Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom accounted for the only Swedish point in the form of an assist.
In Washington, it looked for a while that the San Jose Sharks might actually get their first win.
After two periods, they still had a 1-0 lead.
But in the final 20 minutes, the Capitals turned up the intensity and won 3-1.
“We faced a desperate team, but we worked hard, brought the goalkeepers with us and we were able to finish the job,” says Tom Wilson, who scored the decisive goal.
Swedish defenseman Hardy Haman Aktell was also noted for his first NHL assist.