3 major takeaways from the Calgary Flames' 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers

The Calgary Flames improved to 3-0 to start the season following a 4-1 road win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Sunday night.

Rasmus Andersson, Anthony Mantha, Justin Kirkland and Connor Zary got the goals for the Flames, while Dan Vladar made 25 saves for the win. Meanwhile, Jeff Skinner scored his first goal of the season for the Oilers.

So, let’s take a look at the three major takeaways from the Calgary Flames' 4-1 win on Sunday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

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Three major takeaways from Calgary Flames' win over Edmonton Oilers

#3 The Flames didn’t quit

The Calgary Flames got off to a tough start, with Skinner scoring a little over a minute into the game. The Oilers took control early on, but the Flames didn’t quit.

After two disallowed goals changed the game’s complexion, the Flames hung tough, keeping the game tied through two periods. However, the Flames’ relentless forecheck eventually wore down the Oilers' defense, leading to two goals.

Eventually, Zary iced the game with an empty-netter following a solid sequence where the Flames defended well during the 6-on-5 Oilers push late in the third.

#2 Vladar got help from the posts

Dan Vladar was outstanding for the Calgary Flames. He made key saves when the Flames needed them, like during a late third-period power play for the Oilers.

However, the bigger story was the multiple posts the Oilers hit throughout the game. Perhaps the most important one was the shot Jeff Skinner rang off the crossbar in the third period. The shot had clearly beaten Vladar over the right shoulder, but the puck smashed into the crossbar and bounced away.

For the Oilers, it was bad luck. They couldn’t seem to get any breaks to go their way. For the Calgary Flames, though, the posts were lucky breaks that kept them in the game.

#1 The Flames’ tight-checking game neutralized the Oilers’ offense

While the Flames got some help from the posts, the biggest factor for success was the Flames’ tight-checking game against Connor McDavid and the Oilers' vaunted offense. The Flames played a structured game and didn’t make any big mistakes.

The Flames took just one penalty while limiting the Oilers’ ability to gain the zone with speed. The Flames kept the Oilers to the outside negating big shots from the point. The Flames blocked 17 shots while avoiding traffic in front of Vladar.

Overall, the Flames played a solid game against one of the league’s best teams. But most importantly, the Flames did an excellent job of keeping the Oilers’ power play off the ice.

The Flames will be in action on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Scotiabank Saddledome, looking to go 4-0 on the season.