VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks held Connor McDavid with a single help for the primary time this season. However they could not run away with a win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening.
Mikko Koskinen made 29 saves and was seven seconds away from his first shutout of the yr when the Oilers beat the Canucks 2-1 at Rogers Area.
“It begins with Mikko,” stated striker Zach Hyman. “He is made some big saves, so you possibly can’t play a sport like this with out him. I assumed it was a superb sport. We’re recovering from a loss on the highway and enjoying in opposition to a superb Vancouver workforce. Get the win and do not surrender on a good power (objective). “
Koskinen began for the fourth time in a row, Mike Smith was sidelined with an higher physique harm. The Oilers improved to 6-1-0 that season whereas the Canucks fell to 3-5-1. Thatcher Demko made 32 saves in defeat.
Vancouver has been and not using a win at Rogers Area this season and has solely scored 4 targets in three defeats at their house stand initially of the season with seven video games.
“There have been instances once we achieved quite a bit, however we’ve got to do one thing like that for a full 60 minutes,” stated Canucks captain Bo Horvat, who went 16-23 within the face-off circle and ended the evening with three pictures on objective. “Sporadically you will not win any hockey video games. We’ve got to seek out methods to do that. “
With the identical power, each groups have been defensively stable. The Oilers went 2 for two in energy play, with targets from Warren Foegele and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver’s solely objective got here within the ultimate seconds from Brock Boeser, with Demko being dragged for the additional striker.
The Canucks’ solely energy play of the sport got here with 3:01 to go within the third interval when the workforce with Demko, who was already on the bench, pressed for a objective.
“It is a good job at 5v5, however we’ve got to discover a method to win these hockey video games,” stated Horvat. “While you hold a workforce like Edmonton on two targets, it’s important to discover a method to get three.”
The Oilers opened scoring at 11:39 the primary after Tyler Myers was whistled for tying Edmonton’s Jesse Puljujarvi. One second behind the person, Foegele dropped a rebound after a shot by Darnell Nurse on an outstretched Demko for his second objective of the yr.
It was a uncommon tally of Edmonton’s second energy play unit, which featured solely a restricted ice age behind superstars like McDavid and Draisaitl.
“It is a large objective for us to come back out of, that is certain, a very large objective,” stated Oilers coach Dave Tippett. “It bought us going and our energy play gave us a giant win on the finish of the second and that was sufficient for us to win.”
“It was good to have a chance there and our unit benefited from it,” stated Foegele, who was acquired in an low season take care of the Carolina Hurricanes. “There’s lots of particular expertise in that first session over there and we will see them on the bench simply as you possibly can see it.”
Draisaitl scored his fifth of the marketing campaign with 40 seconds remaining within the center body. With Oliver Ekman-Larsson within the field, Draisaitl defeated Demko with a one-timer from the precise circle, ready by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid, who began the sport with a shot in opposition to the shin of defender Luke Schenn.
With the assists, McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins each prolonged their season-long collection of factors to seven video games. And whereas McDavid was saved to only one level in a sport for the primary time in all the season, he moved again to first place within the NHL scoring race with 16 factors from his first seven video games.
McDavid ended the evening with 13 shot makes an attempt, together with 9 pictures on objective. Originally of the third interval, Demko blocked him with three fast close-range pictures from the gate.
For Vancouver, Schenn performed his 800th NHL sport of his profession, whereas Tucker Poolman and Jason Dickinson returned to the line-up after harm breaks.
“It was a extremely aggressive hockey sport tonight, with no 5 on 5 targets,” stated Vancouver coach Travis Inexperienced. “We got here out on the improper facet.
“I do not prefer to lose. Our workforce does not prefer to lose, however I assumed that tonight we would have taken a step in the precise path for a few of our boys. “
“Issues are going properly,” Foegele stated on the Edmonton facet. “However as we all the time say it is early, attempt to take it day after day. You do not need to go too far and understand how good this league will be. So hold enjoying shortly and simply and it’s best to see the outcomes. “
The Oilers will return house for the primary time on Monday to host the Seattle Kraken, whereas the Canucks will host the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
NOTES: It was the second assembly between the Oilers and Canucks this season. On October 13, Edmonton defeated Vancouver 3-2 on penalties at each groups’ season opener … ultimate video games. It was Edmonton’s first defeat of the yr.
This report from The Canadian Press was first printed on October 30, 2021.
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