Canucks Crumble After Promising Start Against Oilers
For 20 minutes, the Vancouver Canucks looked like a team that was ready to punch above its weight. They came out with energy, played with structure, and matched up well against an Edmonton Oilers squad that-despite missing Leon Draisaitl-still boasts one of the league’s most dangerous offensive arsenals. But hockey is a 60-minute game, and by the end of the night, the Canucks were left staring at a lopsided scoreboard and searching for answers.
Let’s break it down.
First Period: Holding Their Own
Coming into this one, the Canucks were clear underdogs. They’d dropped 11 of their last 12 at home and were riding a nine-game winless streak. Edmonton, meanwhile, may have been without Draisaitl, but they still had Connor McDavid and a power play that can flip a game in a heartbeat.
And yet, the first 20 minutes belonged to neither team. It ended scoreless, but it was far from uneventful.
Vancouver’s top line of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Liam Ohgren showed real promise. Pettersson looked like he had a little extra jump in his stride, while Ohgren continued to prove why the Canucks are high on his two-way potential.
The rookie was noticeable in all three zones-hard on the backcheck, smart with the puck, and positionally sound. That trio was hard-matched against McDavid’s line, and they held their own.
That’s not a small thing.
Goaltender Nikita Tolopilo also had a solid opening frame, making a few key saves to keep things level. The Oilers had a slight edge in chances, but Vancouver looked engaged and competitive. For a team in the middle of a tough stretch, that first period felt like a step in the right direction.
Second Period: Collapse in Real Time
Unfortunately for Vancouver, the wheels came off early in the second.
Just under five minutes in, a turnover in the neutral zone by Arshdeep Bains led to a quick Edmonton counterattack. Jack Roslovic slipped a backhander through Tolopilo’s pads to open the scoring. The Canucks challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood-and to make matters worse, they were handed a penalty for the failed challenge.
Tolopilo stood tall during the ensuing Oilers power play, making several key stops to keep the deficit at one. But shortly after that kill, another penalty-this time a high stick from Conor Garland-put the Canucks back on the kill. This time, Zach Hyman capitalized, banking a backhand off Filip Hronek and in to make it 2-0.
From there, things unraveled fast.
A miscommunication between defensemen Tom Willander and Marc-André Mancini left Kasperi Kapanen alone on a breakaway. He buried it, stretching the Oilers’ lead to 3-0. Pettersson, who should’ve covered for the pinching Mancini, was late on the backcheck.
Then came the flood.
Roslovic notched his second of the game after a defensive lapse from Zeev Buium, who was a step slow reacting to Edmonton’s transition. Less than 30 seconds later, Kapanen added his second of the night, again taking advantage of a Canucks breakdown-this time with Buium caught chasing.
By the time Vasily Podkolzin scored his 11th of the season to make it 6-0, the game had completely slipped away.
It was a tough night for Buium, who’s been in a bit of a rut lately. The frustration was visible.
These are the kinds of games that test a young defenseman’s confidence. The key now is how he responds.
There’s no substitute for experience, and sometimes the only way out of a rough stretch is to play through it.
Third Period: Damage Done
The third period was academic. The Canucks didn’t mount a comeback, and the Oilers didn’t need to push the pace. Vancouver’s early energy was long gone, replaced by a team simply trying to get to the final buzzer without further damage.
There’s no sugarcoating a loss like this. The Canucks were competitive early but completely lost the plot in the second period. Defensive structure broke down, puck management faltered, and the Oilers made them pay-again and again.
Final Thoughts
- Liam Ohgren continues to impress. The comparisons to Vasily Podkolzin in his early days aren’t far off-high motor, good instincts, and a willingness to do the dirty work. He’s earning more looks in key situations.
- Nikita Tolopilo had a strong first period and made some big saves even after the floodgates opened. He wasn’t the problem tonight.
- The defensive system under Adam Foote is still a work in progress. There were too many missed assignments and communication breakdowns, especially from the younger blueliners.
- Elias Pettersson’s game was a mixed bag. Strong start, but his defensive reads in the second period left a lot to be desired. For someone who’s looked more like himself lately, this was a step back.
- For a team trying to build something sustainable, nights like this are part of the process. Painful, yes-but also revealing. The Canucks’ young core is still learning what it takes to compete consistently at this level.
The loss extends Vancouver’s home struggles and deepens their current skid, but the first period offered a glimpse of what this team could be when things click. Now it’s about finding a way to stretch that effort beyond 20 minutes.