GAME RECAP: Canucks 4, Oilers 3 (OT)

VANCOUVER, BC – Kiefer Sherwood scored two goals, including the winner 1:43 into overtime, as the Edmonton Oilers were swept on the West Coast in back-to-back games this weekend by the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks after dropping a 4-3 result at Rogers Arena on Sunday night.

Sherwood had a goal waved off for offside in the second period before scoring with 39 seconds left in the frame to make it 3-1 for the Canucks after Evan Bouchard connected with Leon Draisaitl 2:47 earlier to make it a one-goal game with his first of two goals on Sunday in his 800th career NHL game.

Winger Jack Roslovic scored his first Oilers goal less than two minutes into the third period, and Draisaitl potted his seventh goal of the season on the power play with 5:03 remaining in regulation to force overtime, but it was Sherwood's deflection in sudden death that gave the Canucks the extra point.

"To come back from two down in the third period is difficult anytime, and we were able to get two and put it into overtime, and McDavid had a pretty good chance at the end to get the full two points," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "But it would have been nicer not trailing by two going into that third period and making it a more difficult job for us."

Roslovic finished with a goal and an assist, while a two-goal performance from Leon Draisaitl and a helper from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins extended their point streaks to five and four games, respectively.

Vasily Podkolzin, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each contributed helpers, and goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 23 of 27 shots for the Oilers, whose record dropped to 4-4-2 with the defeat.

"Offensively, we're trying to bear down, and we end up getting three tonight," Nugent-Hopkins said. "But obviously, it hasn't been easy as of late, so we're gonna keep working on that and keep bearing down, but I think it's just a few breakdowns that we all know we can correct, and we'll get back at it."

The Oilers will return home to open a two-game homestand at Rogers Place on Tuesday night against the Utah Mammoth.

DEMKO LOCKS IN EARLY

Demko has already done this to the Oilers once this season.

The Canucks netminder was the only reason Vancouver had any chance back on Oct. 11 in their first meeting of the season at Rogers Place, making 35 saves in Edmonton's 3-1 victory, and his 13 stops in the first period on Sunday that included two big ones on Connor McDavid and Isaac Howard helped keep the hosts ahead through 20 minutes on Brock Boeser's opening goal with 4:18 left in the period.

The Canucks had the two best chances on the first power play of the night for the Oilers, having two off-man shorthanded rushes that needed netminder Calvin Pickard to make two critical stops on Kiefer Sherwood and Jake DeBrusk.

The Oilers came into Sunday's contest having scored power-play goals in their last three games, but the first man advantage was a motivator for the Canucks from generating two high-quality chances.

McDavid couldn't beat Demko with a spinning move around Tyler Myers that opened up a backhand in close for the captain before Brock Boeser was able to score first almost a minute later, sliding a backhand under Pickard with 4:18 left in the period off a neutral-zone turnover and dish from Evander Kane.

Issac Howard had a great chance to get it right back for the Oilers in the final three minutes of the period after being fed through for a breakaway by David Tomaeek, but he couldn't beat the resilient Demko before the intermission arrived with the Canucks leading 1-0.

NOT ALWAYS A 'SHER' THING

Kiefer Sherwood scored twice in the middle frame – having his first disallowed for an offside – but he made sure his second counted on a terrific toe drag and finish that restored the two-goal lead for the Canucks in the last minute of the period after Leon Draisaitl made it 2-1 just under three minutes earlier.

Vasily Podkolzin was called for slashing in the first minute of the period, and Elias Pettersson dispatched a one-timer three-quarters into the ensuing power play that solved Pickard under the right arm at 2:26 of the frame to make it 2-0 for the Canucks.

Nugent-Hopkins felt the slice of Demko's continued sharpness for the Canucks during the second period by having two top-tier chances turned aside by the netminder – an elevated backhand on a partial breakaway set up by Draisaitl that was stopped before Demko kicked away a tricky blocker-side snap shot off the rush with seven and a half minutes left in the frame.

The Oilers finally solved Demko with 3:28 left in the period, making it 2-1 after Evan Bouchard fired a perfect 100-foot pass onto the tape of Leon Draisaitl behind the Canucks' defence as they changed before the German snapped it under the glove to mark his 800th NHL game with his sixth goal of the season.

Draisaitl beat Demko for the 15th time in his career – the most Demko's let in against a single player – and the goal marked the 16th time in his last 20 meetings with Vancouver that he's found the back of the net, recording at least a point in 26 of his last 27 games against them.

The German will celebrate his 30th birthday on Monday and holds the team lead in goals with seven this season after scoring twice in Vancouver.

"Leon's a very competitive person and doesn't take a night off," Knoblauch said. "Obviously, he's frustrated with the way things have been going right now, and we're not winning more games than we have been. But he's been a competitor and playing really well and scoring some big goals for us. Tonight was a good night for him."

After a coach's challenge for offside took a goal away for Sherwood earlier in the period, the Canucks winger wouldn't be denied a second time, scoring on a fast breakout in the final minute of the frame by toe-dragging Mattias Ekholm and snapping it far side on Pickard to make it 3-1 before the intermission.

SALVAGING A POINT

Edmonton's push to earn a point in the third period against the Canucks started 1:21 into the period with forward Jack Roslovic's first goal with the Oilers.

Podkolzin won a puck battle against Tyler Myers in the Canucks' zone, getting it to Roslovic in the left circle where he walked in and sniped it short side top shelf on Demko to make it 3-2 with his first tally in eight appearances, while also recording an assist on Draisaitl's first goal to give himself a goal and two assists in eight games wearing Blue & Orange.

"We worked hard to get to that point, so obviously, you want to get that second point," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I thought we created a lot of offence, just couldn't get much by him, especially early, but we stuck with it. At that point, obviously, you're hoping for the extra, but we did a good job of battling."

After the Oilers cut the lead, Pickard had to make a few timely saves by stopping Pierre-Olivier Joseph in tight before coming for a terrific intervention with his left pad on a one-timer for Debrusk.

Minutes later, a Marcus Pettersson slashing penalty on Andrew Mangiapane with 5:30 left in regulation gave Edmonton a crucial late power play, where they stretched their power-play streak to four games by providing the much-needed answer.

On the man advantage, Connor McDavid had space along the goal line to walk out and wait for Leon Draisaitl to open up for a one-timer in the far circle before the German delivered his effort off the post and in past Demko to make it 3-3 on his second goal of the game.

It was Draisaitl's 166th goal on the power play, edging him past Dave Andreychuk for third on the NHL's all-time list for power-play goals before their 30th birthday – moving into third place on the last day possible before he turns 30 on Monday and ultimately earning the Oilers a point after trailing 3-1.

SHERWOOD FLEX IN OVERTIME

It wasn't an official hat-trick for Kiefer Sherwood thanks to his overturned goal in the second period for offside, but the Canucks' winger scored for the third time on a deflection 1:43 in overtime that earned the extra point for the Canucks.

Parked in front of Pickard, Sherwood put a tidy deflection on Brock Boeser's waist-high shot in overtime that redirected the puck's path inside the near post to give the Canucks the victory and a two-goal night for the 30-year-old to increase his total to five goals this season.

"We'll take the positives," Knoblauch said. "I think our special teams have been pretty good. Unfortunately, we gave up a penalty-kill goal tonight, but overall, I think our special teams have been really solid for us.

"At certain times, we've had lines going and certain players, and we just need to get more guys involved and contributing a little bit more. So going home, we'll have a little bit of a stretch at home, and we usually play our best there in front of our fans, so hopefully we can do that."