Silovs makes career-high 42 saves, Canucks edge Oilers in Game 3

EDMONTON -- Arturs Silovs made an NHL career-high 42 saves, including 21 in the third period, for the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round at Rogers Place on Sunday.

Vancouver leads the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 will be here Tuesday.

“I felt confident. The guys got my back in Game 1 (a 5-4 win), so I had to have them today,” Silovs said. “Everyone is resilient, blocking shots, and really high-scoring chances they had, and our guys managed to block a lot of them, and it’s a big credit to them, too.”

Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and Elias Lindholm scored twice for the Canucks, who are the No. 1 seed from the Pacific Division. Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller each had two assists.

“We just grinded it out. They threw a lot at us and they grinded it out,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “We had some really good efforts from some individuals. They had a push and we did a nice job in the end there."

Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who are the No. 2 seed from the Pacific.

“I thought we were the better team, for the most part,” Draisaitl said. “In my eyes, it should have resulted in a win, but you know that’s not the way hockey works sometimes.

“So, we’ll just regroup and get ready for Game 4.”

Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 15 shots before being replaced by Calvin Pickard, who made three saves.

“We need more saves. Tonight, obviously I felt like that with 'Picks' going in in the third period,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Tonight’s one that he would like to have back, and we’ll see what he’s got in the future, whether that’s Game 4 or Game 5 or whatever it is. But we’ll be seeing 'Stu' again, and I have no doubt that he’ll respond and play well.”

Ekholm gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 5:37 of the first period. Evander Kane's initial shot deflected off the stick of Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers to Ekholm, who scored into an open net from the right circle.

Lindholm tied it 1-1 with his own power-play goal at 8:45, tipping in a wrist shot from Boeser after Derek Ryan failed to clear the zone.

“We didn’t want to defend that much,” Lindholm said. “In the first period, we played well, but when we get a lead like that, we were talking and we wanted to attack more. But that’s just the way this game went.

“I think everyone bought in and did their job and blocked shots and did whatever it took to win this game, so it was huge.”

Boeser gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead at 13:18. He was left all alone in the right circle and scored blocker side off a pass from Miller, who had drawn both Connor McDavid and Ekholm into the corner.

Boeser then made it 3-1 at 18:34. Pius Suter intercepted a backhand pass from Warren Foegele and fed Boeser, who scored glove side from the bottom of the left circle.

Draisaitl cut it to 3-2 at 3:36 of the second period, burying a one-timer from a sharp angle off a pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins during a power play.

“We’re creating enough looks,” Draisaitl said. “But obviously they’re not falling right now or we’re not doing a good enough job of being hard in front and banging them home.”

Lindholm responded with another power-play goal to push it to 4-2 at 17:35.

Bouchard got the Oilers to within 4-3 at 18:44 of the third. With Pickard on the bench for the extra skater, he scored with a wrist shot from the point that deflected in off Ian Cole.

Edmonton outshot Vancouver 22-3 in the third and 36-7 after the first.

“The kid’s given us games. It’s a big stage and he’s not blinking,” Tocchet said of Silovs. “He's coming in every day and he’s working hard.

“He’s a low-maintenance guy. I don’t really see him around too much and he’s played in some pressure games, and this is good for him.”

NOTES: Boeser extended his point streak to four games (three goals, three assists). He has scored nine goals in seven games against the Oilers this season. ... Draisaitl extended his postseason-opening point streak to eight games (seven goals, 11 assists). ... McDavid was held without a point for the first time this postseason. ... Bouchard extended his point streak to six games (three goals, six assists). ... Ekholm became the second defenseman in Oilers history to score in three straight playoff games (Paul Coffey, three times).