Andersson has goal and 2 assists as unbeaten Flames beat winless Oilers 4-1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists, and the Calgary Flames beat the winless Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Sunday night to remain undefeated.

Anthony Mantha, Justin Kirkland and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames, who improved to 3-0-0. Dan Vladar stopped 24 shots.

Jeff Skinner scored for the Oilers, who are 0-3-0 after beginning last season at 2-9-1 before rebounding to make it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton has been outscored 15-3 in their first three games, all at home.

Stuart Skinner had 25 saves for Edmonton.

Flames: Mantha’s 300th point of his NHL career put the Flames up 2-1 at 7:06 of the third period. Mantha was able to corral a rebound in tight and lifted it up high over Skinner for his second of the season.

Oilers: Captain Connor McDavid assisted on Skinner’s goal in the first period, marking the 15th time he has assisted in a player’s first goal. That tied Ryan Smyth for second best in franchise history in the category, behind only Wayne Gretzky’s 21 first-goal assists.

The Oilers appeared to have taken a 2-0 lead with less than two minutes to play in the first period when Corey Perry tipped Troy Stecher's through traffic past Vladar. However, Calgary challenged for goaltender interference and the goal was called off. Edmonton had a second goal called back 5:40 into the second period after it looked like Derek Ryan had scored, but Viktor Arvidsson was clearly offside on the play.

The Oilers gave up five power-play goals without making a save over the first two games, but held Calgary to 0 for 3. Last season, the Oilers allowed only four power-play goals in 25 playoff games last spring.

Flames host Chicago on Tuesday, and the Oilers host Philadelphia.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Calgary Flames' Martin Pospisil (76) skates past as Edmonton Oilers celebrate after a goal during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) goes down after being slashed by the Calgary Flames during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames' Kevin Bahl, second from left, and Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse (25) rough it up during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames' Daniil Miromanov (62) and Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29) battle for the puck during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames' Connor Zary (47) and Edmonton Oilers' Travis Dermont (24) scramble for a rebound from Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames' Matthew Coronato (27) and Justin Kirkland (58) celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during third period NHL action in Edmonton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Calgary Flames' Justin Kirkland (58) scores on Edmonton Oilers' goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during third period NHL action in Edmonton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.

With the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple, they lit the menorah — and it stayed lit for eight days. The ritual of lighting a nightly candle, as well as the emphasis on cooking foods in oil such as potato pancakes called latkes, memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.

The dates of the holiday are based on Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually coincides with November-December in the Gregorian calendar.

This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from Dec. 25, 2024, through Jan. 2, 2025.

Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.

For this reason, even though the Talmud reflects a dispute over the order of lighting, most start with one candle and increase the lighting by one more candle each night while reciting or chanting special blessings.

The candles are added from right to left, but lit from left to right on the menorah, thus always starting with the newest light. The special menorah used for Hanukkah has eight branches, with a ninth place for the candle called shamash from which all others are lit.

The tradition calls for candles with a real flame, though some also use electric ones in public displays, such as in hospitals, for safety reasons.

A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.

The lighting of menorahs in city streets and parks has become more prominent in recent years in countries around the world, including in front of public landmarks.

In addition to menorah lightings, giving to charity and social works are also part of the celebration for many, reflecting the belief that the Jewish people are called by God to help make the world better for all.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Rabbi Peter Tarlow lights a candle on a menorah during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)