The Canucks tried early on to suck the life out of the building, as Dakota Joshua got in on the forecheck and laid a hit on Mattias Ekholm before bringing the puck right out to the front of the Oilers’ net. Stuart Skinner did well to make the stop, and Arturs Silovs made some nice stops early on.
Brock Boeser took the first penalty of the game on a tail end of a shift against the Oilers’ loaded up top line just under five minutes into the game. Silovs was sharp early on, stopping a great chance on the delayed call.
The Oilers’ first power play couldn’t convert, but the second unit got Edmonton on the board after an Evander Kane shot deflected and bounced right to Mattias Ekholm.
The Canucks got a power play opportunity of their own when Leon Draisaitl was called for setting a neutral zone pick for Connor McDavid on Elias Lindholm.
Brock Boeser continued his impressive playoff performance, as he let go of a wrist shot through traffic that beat Skinner glove side.
This goal was later credited to Elias Lindholm.
This series has been a chess match between two excellent coaches thus far — and after Kris Knoblauch made his move by loading up the McDavid line in game one — Tocchet made his by throwing out a totally different look for his club’s first power play unit. So far, so good.
Now, let me know if you’ve heard this before:
Brock Boeser continued his impressive playoff performance, as he let go of a wrist shot through traffic that beat Skinner blocker side.
Okay, now let me know if you’ve heard this one before:
Brock Boeser continued his impressive playoff performance, as he let go of a wrist shot that beat Skinner glove side.
What a story Boeser’s season has been. This is a player who has had to overcome so much off the ice and whose agent was actively trying to help facilitate a trade out of Vancouver just last season. But nobody wanted him. After the Canucks brought in Tocchet last year, Boeser met with management at the end of the season and made it clear he wanted to stay in Vancouver. He committed to a summer of intense training with a Tocchet-recommended trainer, and came into camp looking like a different player.
He’s now pivoted a 40 goal regular season into a playoff run that has seen him score seven goals through nine games. Just incredible stuff for number 6.
Side note: Stuart Skinner is looking absolutely abysmal in this series. If the Oilers win anything with him as their goaltender, I’m becoming increasingly convinced it will be in spite of him.
The second period started with some drama, as Corey Perry was sure he brought the Oilers within one. Video review confirmed Perry’s shot never crossed the line, as Arturs Silovs managed to get his glove down before the puck could cross the goal line. Filip Hronek took a penalty on the play, and in the least surprising turn of events possible, Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play.
Draisaitl is a great player, but this is one Arturs Silovs probably should have had.
Silovs got a big break later in the second when the Oilers hit their fourth post of the night on a Leon Draisaitl breakaway. Silovs didn’t need any help the next time Draisaitl broke in all alone on him, however.
The Canucks got their second power play of the night thanks to a Mattias Ekholm slash on Brock Boeser. Unlike the Oilers’ power play to this point, the Canucks couldn’t operate at 100%. Instead, they struggled to get set up, and the chance to extend their lead by two went by the wayside.
Darnell Nurse took another cross-checking penalty to put the Canucks back on the power play. This time, they kept it simple. They got into the zone and got the puck towards the net. Elias Lindholm scored his second goal of the game, and is up to five goals in the playoffs.
Lindholm, of course, put up just six goals in his first 26 games as a Canuck following the trade from Calgary.
The Oilers sent out Calvin Pickard in place of Stuart Skinner to start the third, and the Canucks got Carson Soucy back after the defenceman left midway through the second period.
The Oilers got an early third period power play after Nikita Zadorov tripped Connor McDavid after the Oilers captain burned him on the outside. The ever-dangerous Oilers power play got another chance to get to work. This quickly turned into Arturs Silovs’ time to shine, as he made five saves on that Oilers man advantage. He was phenomenal tonight, and was instrumental in the Canucks holding the Oilers back when Edmonton pushed to even things up.
Protecting the lead, the Canucks spent a lot of the third defending in their own end. The Oilers got their second power play of the period after Ian Cole was called for cross-checking. Again, Silovs came up huge for his team.
With over three minutes to go, the Oilers pulled their goaltender to try to chip away at the Canucks’ lead. JT Miller hit the post from distance, and Zach Hyman scored shortly after to bring the Oilers within one. It didn’t matter much though, because the Canucks held on for the win.
The Canucks emphatically won the goaltending battle tonight, and the Oilers now have a decision to make heading into game four: start Calvin Pickard or go back to Stuart Skinner? Wondering if you should go away from your starter is not a position any playoff team ever wants to find themselves in.
Edmonton managed to win a game on the road and now the Canucks have done the same in what has been a close and entertaining series to this point. These two teams will do it again on Tuesday night with the Canucks now up by a game.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game?
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