The Edmonton Oilers suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Sunday night. This defeat marks the end of a back-to-back series on the West Coast where the Oilers were swept, having previously lost to the Seattle Kraken. The Oilers now hold a record of 4-4-2. Here are some key takeaways from the game:
1. Draisaitl's Milestone and Performance Leon Draisaitl played his 800th career NHL game. He celebrated the milestone by scoring two goals, including the one that forced overtime with just over five minutes left in the third period. Draisaitl has been a consistent performer against the Canucks, recording at least one point in 26 of his last 27 regular-season games against them. He has also scored 16 times in his last 20 meetings with Vancouver.
2. Slow Starts Continue to Hurt Oilers The Oilers have struggled with slow starts this season, a trend that continued in this game. They trailed 1-0 after the first period and 3-1 after two periods. Edmonton has scored first in only one of their last seven games and has trailed going into the third period in five of the last six games. While their third-period effort was commendable, it raises questions about their focus and intensity in the earlier stages of the game.
3. Canucks' Special Teams Struggles Despite the victory, the Canucks' penalty kill continues to be a concern. They have allowed 10 goals on 27 power-play opportunities in their last eight games. The Oilers capitalized on this weakness when Draisaitl scored a power-play goal late in the third period to tie the game.
4. Sherwood's Heroics Kiefer Sherwood had a standout performance for the Canucks, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner. He initially had a goal disallowed in the second period due to an offside call, but he later scored to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead. His second goal came 1:42 into overtime when he deflected a pass from Brock Boeser. Boeser also had a strong game, contributing a goal and two assists.
In summary, the Canucks emerged victorious in a tightly contested match against the Oilers, but both teams have areas to address moving forward. The Oilers need to find a way to start games with more urgency, while the Canucks need to improve their penalty kill.
