Oilers close perfect preseason with 4-1 win over Flames at Rogers Place

The Edmonton Oilers finished their preseason unblemished Saturday, beating the Calgary Flames 4-1 at Rogers Place to cap a perfect 4-0 run before the regular season begins.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl looked in peak form, and the Oilers' power play struck in 23 seconds on its first opportunity. Devon Levi pitched a shutout for 49 minutes, finishing with saves and remaining unbeaten through the preseason.

Hyman scored on the power play in the first period, McDavid scored in the second, and Ryan Shea also scored in the second to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead after two. Kasperi Kapanen added a goal in the third, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collecting two assists on the night. Matt Coronato scored for Calgary in the third.

Hyman, who underwent off-season wrist surgery last year, said the full summer of healthy training marked a major turnaround. "I couldn't even pass the puck this time last year. I had just started skating and was taking it day by day, kind of living in the unknown, which is never fun," Hyman told the source. "This summer was amazing. It sucks that we lost early, but it was the first full summer of healthy training that I've had in years. I feel great, I feel fresh, excited."

The Oilers' roster has shifted. Darnell Nurse is no longer with the team, while Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin joined as the third pairing. Mattias Ekholm reunited with Evan Bouchard on the first pairing.

Mike Babcock still faces final bottom-six cuts before the season begins. "We're going to look at our group and in the end they're going to decide," Babcock said. "All the years I've been in the league, a lot of times the decisions we made on Day 1 didn't last till Day 10. I don't know the answers on all of them. I'm going to watch and see what happens and try to do the best thing for the team."

Edmonton opens the regular season Tuesday before the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place.