Canucks Put Forth Strong Effort But Fall 4-2 To The Oilers

The Vancouver Canucks pushed their losing streak to five games as they fell 4-2 to the Oilers on Saturday night. Max Sasson scored his fifth of the year while Brock Boeser recorded his seventh goal of the season in the loss. As for Leevi Meriläinen, he stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced in the loss. 

The Canucks deserve a lot of credit for the way they played in this game. They got better as the game progressed and battled to the very end. Unfortunately, they were burned late in the third period by an incorrectly called icing which appeared to kill any momentum Vancouver had built. 

"Again, it comes down to those momentary lapses in detail," said Manny Malhotra post-game when asked why his team couldn't pull off the comeback. "Small missed assignments or puck battles. Those are the things that add up. And eventually, obviously, against a team as high-powered as Edmonton, when you give them those little looks, they are gonna make good on them."

One positive from this game is that the Canucks did not allow a goal in the second period. The middle frame has caused Vancouver plenty of issues this season, as they lead the league with 30 goals allowed. While it may not seem like a big deal, keeping the Oilers off the score sheet in the second should be seen as a step in the right direction. 

The Canucks were also able to generate chances from different lines, as 13 players finished the night with a shot on goal. Drew O'Connor led the way with four, while five others recorded at least two shots. Depth scoring has been a significant issue this year, so seeing the majority of the team get at least one shot on net can be viewed as a positive. 

In the end, Saturday night can be viewed as an ethical tank game. Vancouver put forth a strong effort, kept the score close, but couldn't find a way to pick up a point. The Canucks are now 3-15-1 this year and have failed to pick up a win in 15 of their last 16 games. 

1st Period:

9:14- EDM: Mattias Ekholm (3) from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl

19:51- VAN: Max Sasson (5) Jamie Oleksiak from Guillaume Brisebois

2nd Period: 

No Scoring

3rd Period:

00:49- EDM: Jason Dickinson (2) from Ty Emberson and Mathieu Joseph

4:00- EDM: Leon Draisaitl (15) from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard

17:25- VAN: Brock Boeser (7) from Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson

19:15- EDM: Leon Draisaitl (16) from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman (ENG)

Up Next:

Vancouver Canucks vs Philadelphia Flyers, November 9, 2026, 7:30 pm PCT. 

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