In game four, the Edmonton Oilers scored a last-second goal to win the game; Thursday night, it was the Vancouver Canucks turn. J.T. Miller scored with 32 seconds left in the third period, giving the Canucks a 3-2 win over the Oilers. Vancouver now has a three-games-to-two lead in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
“I thought we deserved to win the game today.” Miller said, “Once we got our legs under us, we really played well. The second period was our best period in a while, and I thought we carried that over to the third. sometimes, it takes a while for them to go in.” Vancouver can win the series with a victory on Saturday night.
Vancouver’s Tight Defense Handcuffed the Oilers
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The Canucks identity all season was its tough defense. In the final two periods, Vancouver outshot Edmonton 24-12. J.T. Miller won the game and was also charged with playing defense against Connor McDavid. McDavid ended up with just two shots on goal and no points.
The Edmonton power play was 0-3 in the first period and 0-5 in the game. This was the first game in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Oilers were held without a power play goal.
Connor McDavid, Mark Hyman, and Leon Draisaitl were a combined minus-six with just one point.
Last year, the Oilers were in the same spot—tied two games to two in the second-round series against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Las Vegas Golden Knights. They lost games five and six to end their season in 2023.
Canucks Dominate the Second Period
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Vancouver dominated the Oilers in the second period. They outshot Edmonton 14-5, and there was something you don’t see in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The teams went end-to-end trading chances for a few minutes, but it didn’t last long.
Phillip Di Giuseppe got the only goal of the period, tying the game at two early in the second. He took a loose puck right in front of the net and beat Calvin Pickard five-hole, and it was 2-2. Di Giuseppe didn’t play in games three and four because he was with his wife Maggie, who gave birth to the couple’s son Sam.
Vancouver Stops Edmonton Power Play in the First
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Evander Kane started the scoring for the Oilers. Driving toward the net, Kane took a gorgeous pass from Leon Draisaitl to make it 1-0. It’s Kane’s first goal of this series and his third of the playoffs.
Returning from his one-game suspension, The Canucks Carson Soucy tied the game with two and a half minutes left in the first. It’s his first goal in 44 games.
The Canucks celebration ended quickly. About 30 seconds later, the Edmonton Oilers took the lead back on a goal from their fourth line. Mattias Janmark scored on a rush with Connor Brown, and it was 2-1 Edmonton at the end of the first.
32-year-old Calvin Pickard was in net again for Edmonton. He got the loss but played very well. This is the first time he has started back-to-back games for the Edmonton Oilers.
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Bradley Tachco is a career journalist. I spent 12+ years at CNN as a writer and producer. My sports are the NHL, MLB, and NFL. My goal: unique content. And my teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills (yes, I’m a masochist), and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I have been a Dodgers fan since I was old enough to think. I have gone through decades of despair with all three franchises. You can follow Bradley on X @p09691
