Paul Cotter won it for the Canucks at 1:59 of overtime. He forced a turnover by Oilers defenseman Ryan Shea along the left boards and slid the puck to Max Sasson while laying on the ice. Cotter then got back up to this skates, took a return feed from Sasson, and deked to his backhand for the winner past Tristan Jarry.
Cotter scored twice, Sasson had a goal and an assist, and Filip Hronek had two assists for the Canucks, who got the win in Manny Malhotra's debut as coach. Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves.
Evan Bouchard had a hat trick and two assists, Vasily Podkolzin scored twice, and Connor McDavid had two assists for the Oilers, who were also being led by a new coach in Mike Babcock. Jarry made 17 saves.
The two teams will complete a season-opening home-and-home set at Vancouver on Thursday.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki put the Canucks ahead 3-2 just 1:10 into the third period. Following a giveaway by Oilers forward Isaac Howard, Lekkerimaki skated into the top of the right circle and put a wrist shot between Jarry’s pads.
Sasson pushed the lead to 4-2 at 2:55, working a give-and-go Drew O’Connor and tucking a backhand five-hole on Jarry.
Elias Pettersson made it 5-2 at 5:15, redirecting a shot-pass from Hronek for a power-play goal.
Podkolzin closed the gap to 5-3 at 8:56, settling a centering pass from Bouchard and jamming the puck into the net from the crease.
Bouchard then completed the hat trick 24 seconds later to make it 5-4.
Podkolzin scored his second of the period with 43 seconds left to tied it 5-5. With the Oilers on the power play and Jarry off for an extra attacker, Podkolzin took a cross-ice pass from Draisaitl and ripped a wrist shot over Lankinen's glove from the left circle.
Cotter gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal at 9:51 of the first period.
Bouchard tied it 1-1 at 16:26 with a wrist shot from the point that made it through a screen from Zach Hyman and went in off the post.
Marco Rossi responded for Vancouver to make it 2-1 at 2:07 of the second period. He got behind the defense, took a lead pass from Liam Ohgren, and beat Jarry blocker side on a breakaway.
Bouchard tied the game 2-2 at 14:34. McDavid picked up the puck from a fallen Alex Formenton and sent a backhand pass into the low slot, where Bouchard scored glove side on Lankinen.
