EDMONTON, Alberta – Vancouver rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs is already earning a reputation for stepping up in big moments.
Silovs stopped 42 shots, Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and Elias Lindholm also scored twice as the Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Canucks playoff series. Western Conference.
“The kid gave us the game,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said of the goaltender. “It’s a big stage and he’s not blinking. He comes in every day and is working hard.”
Quinn Hughes and JT Miller each had two assists for the Canucks.
Silovs withstood another late barrage when the Oilers, trailing 4-2, opted to bench goaltender Calvin Pickard in favor of an extra attacker with 3:23 on the clock.
Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch did everything he could to keep stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice, including calling a timeout with 2:39 remaining.
Persistence finally paid off with 1:16 left when Evan Bouchard launched a long shot into the net and the puck bounced off Silovs’ glove and into it.
The 23-year-old Latvian goalkeeper faced 36 shots in the second and third periods, conceding just two goals.
“I felt confident,” said Silovs, adding that his teammates supported him in Vancouver’s 5-4 series opener last Wednesday. “So I had to have them today. They are all resilient and block shots. They had very high scoring chances and our players managed to block many of them. So credit to them too.”
Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner stopped 11 of 15 shots before being replaced by Pickard early in the third period. Pickard finished with three saves in his NHL playoff debut.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night here in Edmonton.
Edmonton’s league-leading power play was 2-4, and Vancouver was 2-3.
“I thought we were the better team, for the most part,” Draisaitl said. “In my opinion, it should have resulted in a win, but sometimes that’s not how hockey works. We just regrouped and got ready for Game 4.”
Edmonton created a lot of chances, Knoblauch said, and the team will have to continue that as the series continues.
“Eventually, the pucks will start coming in a little more,” the coach said. “Tonight, with three, it’s enough to win, especially in the playoffs. You look at the amount of opportunities we have, we just have to be persistent and keep pushing. We will have a few more breaks.
The Oilers’ potent power play began to work early in the first period after Boeser was ejected for hitting. After Evander Kane’s shot was blocked in front of the Vancouver net, the puck bounced to Ekholm, who fired a shot past Silovs to put Edmonton ahead 5:37 into the game.
Ekholm has now scored goals in three consecutive playoff games – and is the first Oilers defenseman to achieve the feat since Paul Coffey in 1985.
The Canucks responded with their own power play tally at 8:45. Stationed on the goal line, Hughes passed to Boeser, who sent a long shot through traffic. Lindholm scored to tie it 1-1 with his fourth goal of the postseason.
Vancouver took the lead midway through the first after the Oilers left Boeser open in the faceoff circle. Miller sent a pass to him and Boeser fired a shot to Skinner with 6:42 left in the period.
Boeser increased the Canucks’ lead to 3-1 just over five minutes later. She caught the puck from Warren Foegele near the boards, took a few steps toward the net and buried her second goal of the night and seventh of the playoffs.
Draisaitl has scored points in all eight of Edmonton’s playoff games this season, with seven goals and 10 assists down the stretch. Bouchard assisted on Draisaitl’s goal, extending his point streak to six games (two goals, six assists).
“I feel pretty confident,” Boeser said. “But I think that just comes from trying to play the right way and just focusing on the little details of our structure. I’m just trying to do everything I can to help our team win. And it’s always good when the goals come in.”
Edmonton nearly cut the deficit to one in the final seconds of the first when Derek Ryan hit a shot off the post.
Oilers fans celebrated early in the second when Corey Perry scored. Silovs cleared the puck from the goal line, but Perry celebrated in front of the net. After analysis, the directors determined that there was no goal.
The Oilers made it 3-2 with the man advantage at 3:36 of the second when Draisaitl sent a shot from a tight angle into Silovs’ box and it bounced for the German forward’s seventh goal of the playoffs.
The Canucks regained a two-goal lead with 2:25 left in the middle period. Miller fired a long-range shot toward the Oilers’ net and Lindholm caught it, shooting the puck to his stick deep in the slot and then sending a backhanded shot into the Edmonton net.
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