VANCOUVER — When it came down to crunch time, with little margin for error and their season on the line, the Edmonton Oilers showed their true colours.
The Oilers followed up a dominant Game 6 effort against the Vancouver Canucks by fending off their rivals in the winner-take-all contest on Monday.
Advertisem*nt
They went from looking cooked in Game 5, their superstars seeming gassed, to getting the job done — first with authority and then with resolve.
The Oilers survived a Canucks push in the third period of Game 7 to earn a 3-2 victory. They seized the Pacific Division crown that was theirs for the taking entering the postseason and claimed their rightful spot in the final four.
Because of how they finished the series, they’ve never felt better about their chances of returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 18 years.
“If we have a chance to beat the Dallas Stars, we’re going to need everybody contributing,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We can’t rely on one or two lines, one or two pairs of defencemen, or just our goaltender.
“From what we saw the last few games in this series, it gives me optimism that we should be doing OK against this team.”
GO DEEPER
How Oilers held on in Game 7 to eliminate Canucks
That was apparent on Monday.
Things got hairier than they needed to be or maybe should have been, given how much the Oilers dominated the Canucks through two periods and even up to the 52nd minute when Conor Garland scored. The final 4:36 was a nail-biter as Filip Hronek beat Stuart Skinner through a screen to make it a one-goal game.
A Knoblauch timeout, which came after a pep talk on the bench from defenceman Darnell Nurse, got the Oilers back on course.
As hectic as the situation got, the Oilers fortified the defensive zone in the third. They managed to keep the Canucks to the outside. They allowed just five shots on net, outshooting the Canucks 29-17 overall. Eight of their 21 blocks on the night came in the final frame.
“I saw a lot of key defensive plays,” Knoblauch said. “If we’re going to have success — and we talked about it right through the regular season into the playoffs — the best teams are the ones that can defend. We need to be able to defend.
Advertisem*nt
“Overall, this series, I thought we did a pretty good job.”
The best part of their back-to-back efforts in Games 6 and 7 was that they were total team efforts. That’s something that should give them extra belief against the Stars — who might be the NHL’s most complete group.
“I know our top guys get a lot of attention, but we’re a real deep team,” Connor McDavid said. “We’re a deep team just like Dallas is.”
That depth pushed the Oilers over the edge in this series.
Sure, the Oilers had some banner contributions from star players. Those can’t be overlooked.
Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman and McDavid — who was unbelievable in Game 2 but held without a point three times in the series, including Game 7 — all had their moments.
Leon Draisaitl, who sustained an injury in the series opener and missed eight minutes of action, recorded at least a point in every game — something he’s done in every postseason contest this year. He leads the NHL with 24 points in 12 games.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was outstanding in the final two games, recording two goals and five points while being a major contributor to a flawless Oilers penalty kill that went a perfect 7-for-7. His power-play marker on Monday, which halted 10 goal-less opportunities for the Oilers, stood as the winner.
And then there was Evan Bouchard. He might have been the best Oiler in the series, highlighted by an overtime goal in Game 2 and a last-minute go-ahead marker in Game 4.
Bouchard piled up 11 points on four goals and seven assists, including two helpers in the clincher. He’s up to 20 points to lead all defencemen — just as he did in the 2023 playoffs.
He was an absolute monster in this series, from playing 29:59 and 31:24 respectively in Games 2 and 3 to defending a one-goal advantage in the final minute on Monday.
“He raised (his game) to another level,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “He’s a pretty even-keel guy, even on the ice, but it’s nice to see his intensity. Not just the way he shoots the puck — we all know he can hammer it and pick corners — but his intensity around our net, some of the battles he got into, it’s a great sign.
Advertisem*nt
“He’s maturing and really figuring out he’s a bit of an animal.”
But the down-the-lineup guys chipped in when the Oilers needed them to.
Offensively, Dylan Holloway’s end-to-end rush goal on Saturday was matched by Cody Ceci’s snipe on Monday. Ceci has now scored in back-to-back Game 7s and also opened the scoring in 2022 against the Los Angeles Kings.
The penalty killers were tremendous and made the Canucks power play seem inept on Ryan McLeod’s high-sticking double minor at the end of the first period. That kill was completed at the beginning of the second and Ceci scored a minute later.
“It’s something we take so much pride in all season and this is why — because we know it can make the difference in games like this,” Nugent-Hopkins said.
Their third line had more jump when Corey Perry was removed from the lineup after Game 5 and Derek Ryan was bumped up. The fourth trio with Sam Carrick at centre gave them decent minutes.
The defence looked better once Nurse and Ceci were split up to start Game 4.
“A series like that really shows the growth of our team,” Bouchard said. “To have everyone play the way that they did just gets us that much more ready for the next round.”
They even got wins from both goaltenders. Skinner allowed three goals on 32 shots over the final two games after regaining the net from Calvin Pickard.
“I know there’s proof now (that) I have it in me to bounce back like that,” Skinner said. “I’ve proved it many times. But in a playoff situation like this, it definitely feels good. I’d say it’s something that I’m proud of.”
Few would have expected the Oilers to be pushed to the brink against the Canucks. The Oilers are a battle-hardened playoff team, whereas the Canucks are neophytes at this time of year.
Regardless of how it happened, the Oilers persevered. Game 6 was a beatdown. Game 7 appeared that way for a long time before the Canucks made their push. The Oilers hung tough.
Advertisem*nt
After losing all four games to the Canucks in the regular season, including being throttled 8-1 in the season opener in Vancouver and outscored 21-7 in total, the Oilers beat the Canucks four times when it mattered most.
“They’ve had our number, and it feels good to come out on top in this series,” McDavid said.
The Oilers proved against the Canucks they have it in them to raise their level when the stakes get higher. They’re now off to Dallas to play in their second Western Conference final in three years.
“That’s going to be a man’s game,” Draisaitl said. “That’s a really good team. They’ll be ready for us, but so will we.”
Two years ago, they knew they were overmatched against Colorado and got swept. Now, armed with a better and more experienced team they showcased in Games 6 and 7, they have a real shot at getting through to the championship round.
“We’re looking to give it another shot and be more successful than last time,” Draisaitl said.
(Photo: Bob Frid / USA Today)
Daniel Nugent-Bowman is a staff writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for The Athletic. Daniel has written about hockey for Sportsnet, The Hockey News, Yahoo Canada Sports and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Follow Daniel on Twitter @DNBsports
