It was a good night all around for Edmonton sports fans, and the Oilers did their part by taking care of business against Vancouver.
After the Edmonton Elks knocked off the BC Lions in the CFL West Final earlier in the evening, the Oilers followed with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday Night Hockey (Nov. 7).
The victory snapped Edmonton’s two-game skid and pushed the club to 12-3-3. It also kept the Oilers rolling within the division, where they improved to 7-1-1.
This wasn’t the wide-open, track-meet version of the Oilers. Edmonton looked comfortable in a tighter, lower-event game and stuck with its plan even as the Canucks tried to make things scrappy. That approach paid off in a game decided by details, discipline, and a few key moments.
One of the biggest concerns came early in the second period, when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left after an apparent head injury. Just 45 seconds into the frame, he was struck on the side of the head by an attempted clear from Oilers defenceman Ryan Shea and did not return.
After the game, head coach Mike Babcock was asked how long Nugent-Hopkins might be out. “I don’t think he will, actually.
Initially, you’re worried about a broken jaw, and they assessed that. Just knowing our medical guys, there will probably be more assessments tomorrow.
But I just shook his hand; he was in the hallway and seemed to be doing Ok,” Babcock stated.
Nugent-Hopkins has been productive when available, with four goals and 11 points in nine games. Edmonton can ill afford to lose more centre depth, so the hope is that this one doesn’t linger.
Special teams ended up tilting the night Edmonton’s way. After handing the Anaheim Ducks eight power plays in their previous outing, the Oilers were far more disciplined against Vancouver and went to the penalty kill only twice. They killed both off cleanly.
The power play also delivered at a key moment. Edmonton went 1-for-3 with the man advantage, and Leon Draisaitl buried a needed insurance goal 4:00 into the third period to make it 3-1. That strike helped swing the game firmly back toward the home side.
Jason Dickinson also made his presence felt in a big way. It may have been his best game of the season, and it came after a rough stretch of injuries that delayed his start. He broke his foot during the playoffs, missed training camp, returned late, and then got hurt again soon after coming back.
After the game, Dickinson was candid about where his game stands. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy with my game yet.
I still think there’s a lot left in me, and there are areas I’m not seeing clearly. I’m guessing too much, and I’m in my own head out there, and that’s not my game,” Dickinson stated postgame.
Still, he delivered when Edmonton needed it. Dickinson scored 49 seconds into the third period to put the Oilers ahead 2-1, winning a battle in front, getting a shot away, tracking down the rebound, and finishing on the backhand. He finished with one goal, three shots, and three hits in 14:56 of ice time, and now has two goals and four points in nine games.
Edmonton also got a boost from the return of Devon Levi and Zach Hyman. Levi had missed the previous seven games after getting banged up against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 22, while Hyman was out since suffering a neck injury against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 26.
Hyman didn’t light up the scoresheet, but he still made his mark with an assist and two shots in 20:56. His work along the boards late helped seal the win, as he won a battle in the defensive zone and chipped the puck up to Connor McDavid, who then found Draisaitl for the empty-netter.
Levi was steady in goal, stopping 20 of 22 shots for a .909 save percentage. Edmonton limited Vancouver to just four high-danger chances at 5-on-5 and stayed structured throughout the night. The goaltending has been giving the Oilers a level of reliability that has been hard to find in recent years, and the question now is whether Levi and Tristan Jarry can keep that going.
Edmonton’s four-game homestand continues Monday, Nov. 9 against the New York Rangers. The Oilers and Canucks will meet again on March 21 in Vancouver.
In Other News...
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One name that keeps surfacing in that larger rebuild discussion is Landon DuPont, whose early college hockey work has only added to the buzz around his long-term upside. Some analysts are already putting lofty draft projections on the defenseman and drawing speculative comparisons to Cale Makar, which is the kind of chatter that can energize a fan base even as it underscores just how far away the real answers still are. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Keep Sliding After Another Frustrating Loss To Edmonton
The Canucks latest trip through Edmonton brought another familiar result, as they fell 4-2 at Rogers Place and watched Leon Draisaitl steer the Oilers with two goals and an assist. Mattias Ekholm and Jason Dickinson also scored for Edmonton, while Max Sasson and Brock Boeser supplied Vancouvers offense in a game that again left the Canucks chasing from behind against one of the Western Conferences top teams.
For Vancouver, the bigger concern is the slide itself. The loss was the clubs fifth straight, and the standings continue to reflect how far the season has drifted off course at 3-15-1. Edmonton, meanwhile, keeps piling up points and looking every bit like a team built to stay near the top, which only sharpens the contrast for a Canucks group still searching for any kind of reset. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Make Another Lineup Shakeup For Heated Oilers Matchup
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Up front, Arshdeep Bains is getting a look on the top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, a notable change for a group still searching for the right mix. In goal, Leevi Merilinen is slated to start for the second game in a row, giving Vancouver a familiar option as it heads into another test against the Oilers. [Read more 🡒]