McDavid tallies 5 points as Oilers hang on for 9-7 win over Vancouver Canucks

McDavid tallies 5 points as Oilers hang on for 9-7 win over Vancouver Canucks

Published 10:04 pm Thursday, October 1, 2026

It was reminscent of an old Smythe Division shootout.

Two nights after a surprising 6-5 season-opening loss at home, the Edmonton Oilers gained a measure of revenge, dumping the host Vancouver Canucks 9-7 when the teams met again Thursday at Rogers Arena.

Connor McDavid had a goal and four assists for Edmonton (1-0-1). Leon Draisaitl added two goals, while Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen, Evan Bouchard, Vasili Podkolzin, Ryan Shea and Owen Michaels added singles. Evan Bouchard chipped in with two assists for the Oilers, with Devon Levi stopping 15 of 22 shots to pick up the win in goal.

Marco Rossi scored twice for Vancouver (1-1-0), with Arshdeep Bains, Paul Cotter, Brock Boeser, Jamie Oleksiak and centre Elias Pettersson also finding net. Pettersson and Filip Hronek added two helpers apiece. Kevin Lankinen started in goal for Vancouver, giving up eight goals before being pulled in favour of Leevi Merilainen, who stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced.

The Oilers dominated the first period, outshooting Vancouver 15-2 and taking a 4-0 lead.

Podkolzin, who had two goals against his former team on opening night, opened the scoring at 9:26, converting a nice feed from Kapanen at the top of the crease.

Michaels followed up five minutes later with his first NHL goal, knocking home a pass from Mathieu Joseph who was behind the Vancouver net.

Vancouver’s Tom Willander accidentally directed the puck into his own net 16 seconds later, with Bouchard getting credit for the goal.

With 27.5 seconds left in the period, McDavid fed Shea, who beat Lankinen to make it 4-0.

Buzzer beater Bains. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/GE83GzfgsJ

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 2, 2026

Lankinen was still in the Canucks net to start the second, and Draisaitl banked one off the beleaguered goalie just 29 seconds into the frame to make it 5-0.

Cotter (with his third goal in two games) got the Canucks on the board at 4:31, moving into the slot and beating Levi stick-side. Just 33 seconds later, Frederic swatted in a rebound at the side of the net to up the lead to 6-1.

Boeser scored Vancouver’s second goal (on just their fourth shot) at 5:47, beating Levi with a heavy wrist shot from the right offensive faceoff circle.

McDavid made it 7-2 at 7:49, picking off a drop pass from Boeser and slipping a backhand behind Lankinen for a shorthanded marker. On the same Vancouver power play 34 seconds later, Kapanen broke free and beat Lankinen with a deft move to make it 8-2.

The Canucks netminder was then mercifully pulled and replaced by Merilainen, making his Vancouver debut.

With 0.1 seconds left in the period, Bains fired home a rebound for his first of the year and the Canucks trailed 8-3 after 40 minutes.

Rossi made it 8-4 1:53 into the final period with his second of the season, beating Levi with a backhand. Rossi tallied again less than three minutes later when the puck went off his shoulder and in behind Levi.

Vancouver continued its comeback effort when Pettersson scored on the power play, ripping a one-timer off a cross-ice feed from Rossi, making it 8-6 at 7:37.

Draistail netted his second of the night, sweeping a shot past Merilainen at 9:26.

With 1:29 left, Oleksiak beat Levi from the left circle to pull the Canucks within 9-7. They pulled Merilainen with less than a minute left in favour of the extra attacker but could draw no closer.

NOTES: It was the 15th career five-point game for McDavid… Bouchard has eight points in two games to start the season… Scratches for Vancouver were Aatu Raty, Guillaume Brisebois and Victor Mancini, while Thatcher Demko (hip) and Filip Chytil (shoulder) remain on the injured list… Edmonton was 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Canucks were 1-for-3… Vancouver hosts the Calgary Flames Saturday (7 p.m.) and the Vegas Golden Knights come to town the following night (6 p.m.).