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The Edmonton Oilers took a 3-2 SO win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night at Rogers Place. The game ended tied at 2-2, with OT not separating the two teams. But the Oilers prevailed in the SO, giving them their third preseason win, while the loss was the Canucks’ second preseason defeat.
Corey Perry and Ben Gleason scored for the Edmonton Oilers, while Arshdeep Bains and Nate Smith tallied for the Canucks. Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson scored in the SO to give the Oilers the victory.
On that note, here’s a look at the three major takeaways from the Edmonton Oilers' 3-2 preseason win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Three major takeaways from Edmonton Oilers' preseason win vs Vancouver Canucks
#3 Stuart Skinner looked solid
Stuart Skinner went the distance for the Oilers. He stopped 21 shots, keeping his team in the game all night. Most importantly, he gave the Oilers some much-needed reassurance after Olivier Rodrigue and Collin Delia had shaky outings.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Oilers didn't have their top four blueliners in the lineup. So, Skinner’s performance is all the more encouraging. Particularly, he stopped all three shots faced in the SO. Moving forward, Skinner’s performance looks encouraging for the Oilers.
#2 The Oilers power play strikes again
The Edmonton Oilers’ NHL-best power play went 1-for-3 on the night. They got a power play tally from Ben Gleason, with assists from Connor McDavid and Viktor Arvidsson.
The goal looked good, as there was plenty of puck movement, especially with Arvidsson playing behind the net with McDavid. After giving the Canucks the runaround, the puck came back to the point where Gleason fired a shot through traffic that hit the back of the net.
Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen argued goalie interference, but the call on the ice stood, and the Oilers got their first lead of the game.
#1 The Oilers had a tough time against the Canucks’ AHL version
The Canucks didn't dress most of their NHL regulars. Instead, a collection of prospects like Aatu Raty and veterans looking to make the team like Phillip DiGiuseppe hit the ice against a mix of Oilers regulars and non-roster players.
Eventually, the Oilers controlled the play for much of the game. However, Edmonton couldn't put away the Canucks, needing the SO to take the win.
Of course, the game would have looked much different had both teams played their full NHL lineups. But with McDavid and Draisaitl in the lineup, it’s mildly concerning that the Oilers were unable to win the game in regulation.
