Oilers Beat Canucks 9-7 in a Shocking 16-Goal Wild Ride

Dustin JudgeDustin Judge
Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid had a goal and four assists as the Oilers beat Canucks 9-7 on Thursday at Rogers Arena in a game that produced 16 goals.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including a power-play goal at 9:26 of the third period that restored a three-goal lead. Edmonton improved to 1-0-1 after losing its season opener 6-5 in overtime to Vancouver on Tuesday. Vancouver fell to 1-1-0.

How the Oilers beat Canucks 9-7

Edmonton scored four times in the first period on goals by Vasily Podkolzin, Owen Michaels, Evan Bouchard and Ryan Shea. Michaels’ goal was the first of his NHL career.

Draisaitl and Trent Frederic scored early in the second, and McDavid and Kasperi Kapanen added short-handed goals 34 seconds apart to make it 8-2. NHL.com reported it was the fastest pair of short-handed goals by the Oilers since Jan. 19, 2000.

Paul Cotter, Brock Boeser and Arshdeep Bains scored for the Canucks in the second period. Marco Rossi then scored twice early in the third, Elias Pettersson added a power-play goal and Jamie Oleksiak scored at 18:31 to make it 9-7.

Goalies and injuries shape the night

Devon Levi made 15 saves in his regular-season debut for the Oilers, who acquired him from Buffalo on July 1. Vancouver starter Kevin Lankinen allowed eight goals on 20 shots and was pulled 8:23 into the second period. Leevi Merilainen, claimed off waivers from Ottawa, made 10 saves in his Canucks debut.

Edmonton played without forward Zach Hyman because of an upper-body injury. Read more about the Zach Hyman injury and what it means for the Oilers.

Milestones for McDavid and Bouchard

McDavid’s five points tied for seventh-most five-point games in NHL history, with 15. Bouchard had a goal and two assists and became the first defenseman in league history with eight points over the first two games of a season.

It was the first win for coach Mike Babcock since he was hired June 23. Check out our preview of the Oilers-Canucks rematch and more NHL coverage. The full NHL.com game recap has more.

Dustin Judge

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.