It was a nailbiter on Monday night as the Vancouver Canucks fell 3–2 in a shootout against the Edmonton Oilers, with this being the third game that Vancouver has dropped in a row this pre-season. The Canucks goalscorers were Arshdeep Bains and Nate Smith, who each scored their first of the pre-season. As for goaltender Kevin Lankinen, he was impressive, making 24 saves on 26 shots, but ultimately could not stop Leon Draisaitl’s slapshot in the shootout.
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This Monday night matchup featured plenty of names looking to propel themselves to the Canucks’ main lineup. This wasn’t surprising given that this Friday looks to be the game that will star most of the team’s mainstays. Abbotsford standouts from last season, such as Max Sasson and Aatu Räty, took to the ice in search of a regular-season spot with Vancouver, while new players like Kiefer Sherwood and Daniel Sprong flexed their muscles with their new teams.
Tonight’s game appeared to be the final test before playing with big guns like J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, with another big round of roster cuts expected to come in the next day or two. What better way to determine who should get the final NHL nod than to match them up against Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl?
It was a fast-paced, Edmonton Oilers-style of game, and yet, the Canucks matched the quick tempo with ease. Offseason signing Kiefer Sherwood continued to make his presence on the ice known by nudging Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, resulting in a two-minute penalty kill for the Canucks, as well as factoring in on the first goal of the game. His no-look pass across the net helped get Arshdeep Bains his first goal and first point of the pre-season. Sherwood kept the game tempo high with his hurried forecheck and handy play against the boards.
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Another standout for the Canucks in this game was first-place fitness-tester Nils Höglander, who lifted the team’s play with lots of forechecking and even composure when under pressure from opposing players. The energetic forward traded blows with Oilers defenceman Josh Brown after the whistle blew near Edmonton’s net. He also saw some time on the power play, something that has been relatively commonplace this pre-season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a couple of power play looks this upcoming season.
While he didn’t register any points, forward Ty Mueller had an impressive game for the Canucks. He had a couple of good chances against Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and showed bursts of speed in his backchecks. He played 16:05 and registered two shots on goal.
The Canucks’ matchup in Edmonton was also permeated by a plethora of appearances by former Canucks, all of whom got their respective looks from the Oilers organization. Vancouver’s 10th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft and new Oiler, Vasily Podkolzin, skated on a line with Connor McDavid and Corey Perry. Richmond-raised Troy Stecher, who had a close chance to score in the first period, was paired up with another former Canucks defenceman in Travis Dermott. Once a Canuck for 29 games (11 with Vancouver and 18 with Abbotsford), Lane Pederson spent last season with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, and took to the ice with James Hamblin and Drake Cagguila for tonight’s game.
There was a flurry of penalties and goals in the third period as Edmonton tied the game 1–1 off a blocker-side tuck from Perry. The veteran forward followed this up with a two-minute minor for roughing after unsuccessfully challenging Canuck Pius Suter. Edmonton killed Perry’s penalty and were subsequently rewarded with a power play after Aatu Räty was called for roughing. The Oilers registered a go-ahead power play goal from Draisaitl, but 19 seconds later, Vancouver tied it back up off a tally from Nate Smith. Each team took one more penalty before the end of the period.
Vancouver started overtime by lining the Nils duo (Åman and Höglander) up against McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers came out flying, registering chance after chance against the Canucks. Defenceman Mark Friedman took to the ice to negate a close chance before Daniel Sprong got two chances against Stuart Skinner. The game remained 2–2 even after a 30-second 4-on-3 opportunity for Vancouver to end the extra frame.
Edmonton kicked off the shootout with Connor McDavid, who missed on a slick deke. The Canucks began with top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki, whose shot hit the post with a clear ‘clang!’. Draisaitl caught Lankinen off-guard with a sudden slapshot that ended up at the back of the net. Another tally by Viktor Arvidsson sealed the win for the Oilers.
Vancouver won’t have to wait long for a rematch, as the Canucks play the Oilers again, this time at Rogers Arena on Friday, October 4th, at 7:00 p.m. PST — the last game of their pre-season.
