EDMONTON www.officialsabres.com , Alberta (AP) — their defense under new head coach Ken Hitchcock.Mikko Koskinen made 24 saves in his third shutout of the season and Connor McDavid scored the only goal as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 1-0 on Sunday.“It takes a lot of effort to play good defense, especially against a team like that that has so many skilled, offensive players,” Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson said.“I think we’re playing a little tighter, and it’s easier to close the games. Even when we were up two goals in the beginning of the season, we would tend to give up chances still, even when we tried to close games out. I don’t feel like we’re doing that now.”The Oilers have won three straight and have gone 6-1-0 in their last seven games.“I like how we stayed with it when we got an early lead. We didn’t try to flex out. We got quality chances in the first period from playing the right way,” said Hitchcock Buffalo Sabres T-Shirts Authentic , who owns a 7-2-1 record since taking over for Todd McLellan.“I like the way we protected the lead in the third period, especially. That to me is where we’re learning how to play as a unit of five, not spread out. That’s a good sign.”The Flames had a five-game winning streak snapped, and are 9-2-1 in their last 12 outings.“I’m not happy with the result, but I am happy with our weekend,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters, whose team defeated Nashville 5-2 on Saturday. “It just looked like we were running on fumes a little bit tonight.”David Rittich made 29 saves in a losing effort for Calgary.“It’s always the worse kind of loss, a 1-0 game Buffalo Sabres Hoodies Authentic ,” said Rittich. “We didn’t play our game. We just need to be better than that.”Edmonton got going 12 minutes into the opening period with some nice passing by the top line. Alex Chiasson fed McDavid at the side of the net and the Oilers’ captain sent his 16th goal of the season past Flames goalie David Rittich.The Oilers came out flying in the second, but Rittich made huge breakaway saves on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl.Calgary looked to have tied it up midway through the middle period, but Anthony Peluso was flagged with goaltender interference on Koskinen after the video review.McDavid came close to adding another goal on the power play with four minutes left in the third, but rang his shot off the crossbar.NOTES: It was the second of four meetings between the Alberta rivals with Calgary scoring three third-period goals in a come-from-behind 4-2 victory on Nov. 17. . The Flames were without a couple of key players as forward Mikael Backlund is out with a concussion, while defenseman Mark Giordano was serving part of a two-game suspension for kneeing Minnesota’s Mikko Koivu.UP NEXTFlames: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday.Oilers: At Colorado on Tuesday. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Devils fans came to the Prudential Center to jeer Ilya Kovalchuk. The home team certainly didn’t give them a reason to cheer.Tyler Toffoli scored twice in 35 seconds early in the third period to spark the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 victory over the Devils on Tuesday night.Toffoli, who had the overtime winner Monday against the New York Rangers, helped send the Kings to their third win in four games.Adrian Kempe Buffalo Sabres Hats Authentic , Dion Phaneuf and Kovalchuk also scored for Los Angeles. Jack Campbell made 29 saves and Anze Kopitar had three assists.It was the first game in New Jersey for Kovalchuk since he left the Devils in 2013 to continue his career in Russia. He signed with the Kings as a free agent last summer.Kovalchuk was booed loudly when his picture appeared on the scoreboard as one of the Los Angeles starters. The hostile reception continued throughout the game whenever he hit the ice, and especially when he handled the puck.He returned the favor, scoring with 2:24 remaining to boost the lead to 5-1.“That’s not something you’re expecting, but that’s OK,” Kovalchuk said of the game-long razzing. “You know that’s their emotions, and that’s how they react, so that’s what I think. I was happy when I scored. That’s always the best answer.”Pavel Zacha scored for New Jersey, and Keith Kinkaid stopped 20 shots.The game was tied 1-all before the Kings scored three goals in the first 1:52 of the third period.Toffoli started the outburst on a power play 32 seconds in. He took a flip pass from Kopitar and rifled the puck under the crossbar before striking again just 35 seconds later.“To start the third period with the power play was huge Custom Buffalo Sabres Jerseys , and we went in with the plan of getting the puck to the net,” Toffoli said. “Kopitar found me in the slot and we put it in. It kind of kept rolling from there. We took over the game in the first two minutes, and did a good job and did the right things necessary to win.”Phaneuf added his first of the season on a point shot that glanced off a New Jersey defender, and suddenly the Kings were in control.Kempe opened the scoring at 6:21 of the first period with a shot from the slot that handcuffed Kinkaid.It was the only goal of the opening period — and Kempe’s third in the last two games.The momentum shifted New Jersey’s way to start the second as the Devils fired nine of the first 10 shots of the period. The pressure paid off when Zacha evened the score at 3:31 on a sensational setup by Jesper Bratt. Skating behind the Kings net, Bratt fed a no-look backhand pass to the slot where Zacha slammed it home.It was another disheartening loss for the Devils, who have been unable to generate positive momentum in a season that has slipped away from them.“It seems like we put together a good game here and there,” captain Andy Greene said. “It’s not like we’re not working hard. They’re mental mistakes. It just seems when that happens, we’re getting busted for it. The goals are happening. We’re letting them in. We compound one mistake into two or three.”NOTES: Jeff Carter www.officialflames.com , who sustained a lower-body injury in the Kings’ victory Monday night over the Rangers, is sidelined day-to-day, according to coach Willie Desjardins. … Nate Thompson returned for the Kings after missing two games with the flu. … The game began a season-high four-game homestand for the Devils, who play nine games at the Prudential Center in February.UP NEXTKings: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.Devils: Host the New York Islanders on Thursday.