By Canadian Press

Special teams lead Edmonton Oilers over Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in pre-season

Oct 9, 2021 | 9:47 PM

VANCOUVER — The Edmonton Oilers scored on the power play and shorthanded to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 Saturday night in the final NHL exhibition game for both teams.

Evan Bouchard, on the power play, and Brendan Perlini scored 49 seconds apart for Edmonton in the first period. Kailer Yamamoto added the shorthanded goal in the second period for the Oilers (6-1-1).

Goaltender Mikko Koskinen played the first period for Edmonton, stopping all 11 shots he faced. Stuart Skinner stopped 15-of-17 shots over the final 40 minutes.

Phillip Di Giuseppe and J.T. Miller scored in the third period for the Canucks.

Di Giuseppe tipped in a Matthew Highmore shot at 13:44. With Canuck goaltender Thatcher Demko on the bench for an extra attacker, Miller scored at 17:42 off a pass from defenceman Quinn Hughes.

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Demko faced 18 shots for the Canucks, who finished the pre-season with a 2-5-0 record.

The Canucks iced mostly the team that will play this season. The Oilers took a final look at several players fighting for roster spots. Stars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie didn’t dress.

The Oilers took a 3-0 lead on Yamamoto’s shorthanded goal at 6:26 of the second period. With defenceman Kris Russell off for interference, Derek Ryan and Yamamoto forced Hughes to cough up the puck. Ryan took the loose puck, skated into the Canucks zone, then passed to Yamamoto who scored his first of the pre-season.

Bouchard had a busy first period after the defenceman was assessed two penalties and scored the game’s opening goal. With Vancouver’s Miller off for interference, Bouchard fired a blistering shot from just inside the blue line that beat Demko at 16:20. Left winger Warren Foegele was screening Demko.

Edmonton made it 2-0 at 17:09 when Russell fed Colton Sceviour a long pass behind the Vancouver defence. Sceviour skated to the side of the Canucks net then passed back to Perlini who beat Demko for his sixth goal of the pre-season.

The Canucks lost 3-2 in Edmonton on Thursday night. The teams will play each other again Wednesday in their NHL regular season-opening game.

NOTES: Canucks defenceman Jack Rathbone played in all seven exhibition games. … Prior to the game the Canucks announced they had sent centre Carson Focht and right winger William Lockwood to the AHL Abbotsford Canucks. … Before giving up the first goal Vancouver had outshot Edmonton 10-2. …. Former Chicago Blackhawk defenceman Duncan Keith was booed by the crowd each time he touched the puck for Edmonton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2021.

The Canadian Press