The Edmonton Oilers recovered from a poor start to score a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in their season opener Wednesday night at Rogers Place.
Connor McDavid had three goals and an assist while goalie Jack Campbell won his Oilers debut with 33 saves.
Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during third period NHL action in Edmonton on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The Canucks scored on two of their first four shots to take a 2-0 lead before the game was four minutes old. Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson stole a pass from Edmonton forward Dylan Holloway and tucked the puck behind Campbell.
Canucks forward J.T. Miller wired a shot over Campbell’s glove on a two-on-one.
Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse took an interference penalty as the first period ended.
Miller set up Andre Kuzmenko for a tap-in on the power play 39 seconds into the second.
A few minutes later, on an Oilers power play, Leon Draisaitl slid the puck under a stickless Thatcher Demko to get Edmonton on the board.
After the Canucks were penalized for too many men, McDavid finished off a slick passing play to pull the Oilers within a goal.
In the final minute of the second, Nurse ripped home a pass from Draisaitl on a shorthanded two-on-one to tie it 3-3.
With 4:59 left in the third, Zach Hyman freed the puck for McDavid, who buried his own rebound to give the Oilers the lead. It was McDavid’s 700th career point. He would complete the hat trick into an empty net in the final minute.
Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser (6) looks on as Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a goal during third period NHL action in Edmonton on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The Oilers will host the Calgary Flames on Saturday. You can listen to live coverage of the game on 630 CHED, beginning with The Faceoff Show at 6:30 p.m. The actual game starts at 8 p.m.
More to come…
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