Canucks Drop Game 2 to Edmonton 4-3 in Overtime

The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers have a 1-1 series tie after Edmonton took game two in overtime.

Head Coach Rick Tocchet felt the Canucks gave up the puck too easily and it’s something they need to clean up for game three on Sunday.

“When they made the press in the third, I just thought we were a little hot potato with the puck,” Tocchet said. “When somebody's on your back and you have the puck, your heart rate should never be 200, it should be the same because you have possession. Just skate with it, I think we're just too hot potato, especially in the third. We’ve got to make sure that going into game three we are composed with the puck.”

The young goaltender Artūrs Šilovs was a bright spot for the Canucks, making timely saves.

“I’m really proud of him, I thought he was really good,” Tocchet said.

J.T. Miller’s line matched up with an overloaded Oilers’ top line Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman and Miller said his line needed to win more battles in the offensive zone. He felt their defence was good against them, but he says the best defence is getting downhill with the puck.

“They’re good players, but we made it easy on them today. We didn’t win our battles and they were great at playing in the o-zone and once they got it in there it’s very hard to get it away from them,” Miller said. “We just have to align to be better and I think Brock and Suts [Suter] would tell you the same thing. We just didn’t win those battles we normally win. We were one and done all night and started in the d-zone a lot and stayed in the d-zone.”

Game Summary

The Canucks got things going in the first on the power play. J.T. Miller made a cross-ice pass to Elias Pettersson for a one timer, notching his first goal of the playoffs.

Leon Draisaitl evened the score on the power play, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.

In the second, Brock Boeser lit the lamp, redirecting a shot from Carson Soucy from the point.

Mattias Ekholm netted a goal to bring the Oilers even, but Big Z scored late in the second, ripping the puck into the twine from just above the goal line on the left side.

It was déjà vu from Zadorov, who scored in both games against Edmonton and scored from the same spot in round one, game five, against Nashville. 

Our social team calls it “The Zadorov”.

McDavid scored a breakaway goal to tie the game 3-3, sending it into overtime.

Evan Bouchard scored the Oilers’ game-winning goal at 5:38 in the extra frame.

The Canucks head to Edmonton for game three at Rogers Place Sunday, May 12th at 6:30 p.m. PT.