GAME RECAP: Canucks 3, Oilers 2 – NHL.com

The Canucks held on to defeat the Oilers 3-2 on Saturday, ending their four-game win streak after Leon Draisaitl scored twice & Connor McDavid was assessed a match penalty late in regulation
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VANCOUVER, BC – The Vancouver Canucks held on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 at Rogers Area on Saturday night time, ending the Blue & Orange’s four-game win streak after developing brief in erasing a multi-goal deficit for the third straight sport.
The Oilers trailed 3-0 after the primary interval earlier than ahead Leon Draisaitl prolonged his level streak to 6 video games within the center body by scoring twice to achieve 33 objectives this season, chopping Vancouver’s result in 3-2 earlier than Edmonton was unable to equalize over the ultimate body.
Captain Connor McDavid prolonged his personal level streak to 4 video games with an help however was assessed a match penalty within the last moments of the third interval, cross-checking Conor Garland up excessive after being held down for practically 10 seconds whereas the Oilers looked for the tying objective with the online empty.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner completed his night time with 24 saves within the defeat.
The Oilers will host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals at Rogers Place on Tuesday earlier than dealing with the Canucks two days later.
Edmonton’s comeback effort falls brief in Saturday’s 3-2 loss
Sadly, it is a script the Oilers have learn just a few occasions in latest video games. All that was left to do was flip it once more.
The Oilers had rallied from multi-goal deficits in every of their previous two video games and would wish to do it a 3rd time after the Canucks scored thrice – twice on the facility play – over a 3:32 stretch of the ultimate six minutes of the primary interval, placing the Oilers behind by the top of the opening body.
Vancouver outshot Edmonton 16-7 over the opening 20 minutes by pounding the blue paint of goaltender Stuart Skinner, who was victorious in his begin towards the Canucks earlier this season however hasn’t at all times seen outcomes over his profession towards his staff’s Pacific Division rival.
“Two penalties and two power-play objectives have been a giant a part of it,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch stated. “Giving up these two have been the distinction within the sport. We have been capable of get one energy play and a power-play objective, and we misplaced by one. Often, particular groups are the distinction of a hockey sport.”
Skinner began sturdy by making a terrific toe save to disclaim Nils Höglander on a breakaway close to the halfway mark of the interval, stretching out to cease the Swedish winger earlier than the puck discovered its technique to Filip Hronek for a one-timer that Mattias Janmark was capable of parry away with a vital block.
Kris speaks following the Oilers 3-2 defeat to the Canucks
The Oilers netminder could not do a lot on all three of Vancouver’s subsequent three objectives, which all got here rapidly starting with Quinn Hughes’ fortunate bounce off Mattias Ekholm’s leg within the crease on the sport’s first energy play with 5:22 left within the interval.
Simply 1:11 later, a rebound from defenceman Tyler Myers’ level shot wasn’t cleaned up by both Skinner or his defencemen, permitting an unchecked Danton Heinen to scrub it up in entrance to double Vancouver’s benefit in fast succession.
The Canucks made it 3-0 on one other energy play late within the interval after Ekholm high-sticked his countryman Höglander coming via the impartial zone, leading to captain Quinn Hughes taking a go from Miller and firing it high shelf on Skinner from the left circle.
In what might doubtlessly be one in all Miller’s final video games in Vancouver amidst commerce rumours on Saturday, the confirmed goalscorer had two assists within the opening body to finish his seven-game pointless streak and was 10-for-10 within the face-off circle.
Coming into Saturday’s tilt, there’d been solely 9 cases of a staff getting back from multi-goal deficits in three straight video games – an inventory that features the Oilers, who did it through the month of December within the 2005-06 season towards the Canadiens, Canucks and Flames.
Leon speaks from Vancouver following the Oilers 3-2 defeat
Right here come the Oilers – once more.
The NHL’s main objective scorer in Leon Draisaitl acquired the Oilers on the board together with his thirty second objective of the season that deserved an help for Connor McDavid regardless of the marker taking place as unassisted 4:01 into the center body.
The Oilers captain burned Tyler Myers within the nook and flashed a fast go throughout the crease to Darnell Nurse on the again door, who could not corral the puck earlier than it pinballed onto the stick of Draisaitl inside the best circle for the German to deposit below Thatcher Demko’s left pad to make it 3-1.
Draisaitl will get the Oilers on the board together with his thirty second objective of the yr
Draisaitl prolonged his level streak to 6 video games – his third level streak of six video games or extra this season – however in typical No. 29 style, he was removed from completed.
With an influence play for the Oilers previous the 12-minute mark of the interval, Draisaitl completed off a go from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins under the objective line by going high shelf on Demko from the best of Vancouver’s internet, giving him 33 objectives on the season and leaving the Blue & Orange only one again of the Canucks heading into the third down 3-2.
“Leon’s distinctive,” Knoblauch stated. “He is having an unimaginable season and an unimaginable profession, however this yr particularly, not solely enjoying a 200-foot sport, however having the ability to rating the objectives that he has been capable of do on the facility play and even power. He is a giant a part of the success that we have had these final two or three months.”
McDavid garnered a secondary help to push his personal private level streak to 4 video games (4G, 3A) and leads all present Oilers over their careers in objectives (24), assists (44) and factors (68) towards Vancouver. His 68 factors towards the Canucks are his most towards any single opponent, whereas Draisaitl has loved his latest visits to Rogers Area with factors in 15 straight video games since beginning his profession pointless over his first eight visits.
Draisaitl scores twice however the Oilers are defeated in Vancouver
Edmonton’s seek for a 3rd objective and a 3rd straight multi-goal comeback got here right down to the late levels when the duty acquired more durable when Mattias Ekholm’s slashing penalty took two priceless minutes off the clock.
Within the sport’s dying moments, following an absence of a name on Conor Garland for a blatant maintain on Connor McDavid, issues acquired even worse for the Oilers.
The Oilers pulled Stuart Skinner within the last minute to make it six-on-five, the place McDavid was held down by Garland within the slot for what appeared like an eternity earlier than escaping his grasp and connecting excessive on the 5-foot-10 winger with 2.3 seconds left in regulation.
McDavid was assessed a match penalty for cross-checking, however might’ve been prevented if the prolonged maintain from Garland had been referred to as by the official.
“There is a rivalry. Connor will get annoyed,” Knoblauch stated. “He will get his stick up and he is annoyed, as a result of we’re down one objective and the very best participant within the league is getting held for 15 seconds. There’s frustration that that is allowed to occur, and his stick acquired up. So that is what occurred.”
Tyler Myers was additionally assessed a match penalty, together with each participant on the ice incomes two-minute minors, pushing the following faceoff out to the impartial zone and ending Edmonton’s hopes of one other comeback in a 3-2 defeat at Rogers Area.
“I believed we had a fairly good push to make it 3-2 after the second interval, and we simply could not generate sufficient to get that third one.”

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