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Kailer Yamamoto's two goals lift Oilers over Flames 7-4 in pre-season

Kailer Yamamoto's two goals lift Oilers over Flames 7-4 in pre-season

Kailer Yamamoto's second breakaway goal was the winner as the Edmonton Oilers skated away with a 7-4 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday in pre-season play.

Yamamoto neatly slipped the puck through the pads of David Rittich after being sent in alone on a 120-foot pass from Ryan McLeod, snapping a 3-3 tie 6:07 into the third period.

Patrick Russell had a pair of goals, including an empty netter, for the Oilers. Evan Bouchard, Ethan Bear, and Pontus Aberg also scored for Edmonton.

Rookie centre Dillon Dube led the Flames with a hat trick, while Andrew Mangiapane had the other goal.

After standing out last week as the best player on either side during a two-game rookie showcase between the two teams, the 20-year-old kept that performance going as both clubs kicked off the NHL pre-season.

With 15 veteran Flames forwards over in southeast Asia for the 2018 NHL China Games, it didn't take long for Dube to take advantage of first-line playing time.

Centring a line with Kerby Rychel and Buddy Robinson, Dube opened the scoring just 23 seconds in when he slipped a shot through the pads of Mikko Koskinen, the first shot faced by the six-foot-seven Finnish goaltender.

In the second period, it was a similar script. This time, Dube curled out from behind the net and on the first shot of the period, beat the 30-year-old goalie from a sharp angle to tie it 2-2.

Dube put the Flames ahead four minutes later, snapping a shot past Koskinen on a breakaway, after being sprung by Robinson, who collected his second assist of the night.

But Edmonton tied it with 21 seconds left in the second on Bear's slap shot that glanced in off a Calgary defenceman.

After spending the last five seasons in the KHL, Koskinen was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in the of-season to be Cam Talbot's back-up. He struggled on Monday, allowing three goals on 19 shots in 40 minutes of action.

At the other end, Rittich's night was even worse. The leading candidate to open the season as Mike Smith's back up, gave up six goals on 27 shots.