Canucks lose Game 2, series tied 1-1, headed to Edmonton Canucks fizzle in third, series tied, 1-1 headed to Edmonton

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In Vancouver, the Canucks could not hold a 3-2 lead in the third period on Friday night,

Connor McDavid tied the game, 3-3, at 5:27 of the third period, scoring off a breakaway to force an extra session.

“I was happy with the first (period), I was happy with the second, but definitely the third was our best,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We just pressured. I thought we simplified the game and showed more urgency than we had in Game 1.”

Evan Bouchard hit the game winner at 5:38 of the extra session for the 4-3 win. He scored off a shot from the right circle that deflected off a Canucks defenseman’s stick.

“We hung in there all night,” McDavid said. “Everybody battled so hard to get this one. This was a big one. It feels good to be tied going home.”

Stuart Skinner made 16 saves in the win.

Game 3 is set for Edmonton on Sunday.

The Canucks took a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza on a power play marker from Elias Pettersson at 4:14,  scoring from the bottom of the left circle.

“Nice to get on the scoreboard,” Pettersson said. “We moved the puck well.”

Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers midway through the first with a power play strike to tie it, 1-1. He scored off a passing clinic with McDavid.

“He’s an amazing player, one of the best players in the world, the best player in the world a lot of nights,” McDavid said. “And tonight was one of those nights.”

Brock Boeser hit for a goal with 53 seconds gone in the middle frame to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead.The teams were skating four each on the ice.

Mattias Ekholm replied for the Oilers 23 seconds later for a 2-2 tie.

Vancouver had another answer in the game, Nikita Zadorov  scored with 1:43 left in the frame to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead headed to the third period.

In the third, the Canucks were limited to just two shots on goal.

“I think they had 13 5-on-5 chances,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “Too many guys are flipping pucks out when we didn’t have to. That’s only the thing I didn’t like about our team in the third. I guess that’s playoff experience. You have the puck, you have someone on your back, skate with it. Keep your heart rate down. I just felt soon as somebody got it, they flipped it. Like everybody. I think there were plays to be made. And that’s what happens.”

Draisaitl and McDavid had a goal each and four points each in the win.

“They’re obviously two of the best players in the League, but it’s their work ethic,” Oilers forward Warren Foegele said. “I know. In the summer I train with them and they’re always competing, always waking up early and they work on their craft. They don’t just show up in the regular season. They show up for the playoffs.”

Arturs Silovs made 27 saves in the loss.

“They were the better team today,” Vancouver’s J.T. Miller said. “They outplayed us. We had a good opportunity to steal a game, but they had a lot of time in our end. We just didn’t win enough battles on the wall as a group, and we just have to be better in that area and we won’t make their night as easy.”