Canucks Frustrate Oilers In 3-2 Victory At Rogers Arena

The Vancouver Canucks snapped their two-game losing streak on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Quinn Hughes scored twice, while Danton Heinen also beat Stuart Skinner as part of a three-goal first period. As for Thatcher Demko, he stopped 13 of 15 shots for his third win of the season.

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The Canucks came to play on Saturday night as they held the Oilers to just 15 shots. Vancouver did such a good job frustrating Edmonton that with less than three seconds left, Connor McDavid cross-checked Conor Garland in the head, leading to everyone on the ice receiving a roughing penalty. In addition to the penalties, McDavid was given a match penalty, and Tyler Myers was given a cross-check to Evan Bouchard.

The kerfuffle was started because Garland held McDavid down for a few seconds as the clock ticked down. When the two players eventually got up, McDavid took the opportunity to deliver the cross-check, which drew the crowd. Important to note, as per NHL rule 21.1, a match penalty is defined as "A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner."

"I'm just holding him," said Garland when asked about the incident. I mean, he's the best player to ever do it. The time is running out and I just thought that was maybe the best way for us to win the game was to do that. I don't want to hurt him, you know. I want to hold him and not hurt him in any way. Just try to get up and hold him down. Passionate guy and a good dude. Just his passion, just tight games, late, late in the game. Everybody has fire in their belly trying to win a hockey game. So that's that stuff that happens."

Another massive talking point from this game was J.T. Miller. Prior to puck drop, rumors started swirling that Miller might be dealt, but the trade never materialized. Despite what was clearly a tough day, Miller responded in a big way, recording two assists and finishing the night with 18 faceoff wins on 23 draws.

While Miller wouldn't discuss the trade rumours, Hughes did address the situation during the post-game. When asked about what Miller means to him, Vancouver's captain said, "Over the last bunch of years, six years it's been, he's a guy that's always going to compete. Shows a lot of passion, a lot of care. When McDavid, Draisatil, two of the best three players in the world are in town, he's getting ready to go. Wants that challenge, and he's up for it."

As for the game itself, the Canucks power play stepped up massively. Vancouver went two for four with the man advantage while generating six shots on net. While the team played well overall, Saturday was an example of how impactful the power play can be when the five-man unit finds the back of the net.

In the end, the Canucks put forth a full 60-minute effort and were able to shut down one of the best teams in the NHL. Instead of playing like individuals, they played as a unit and were rewarded with a massive win. If Vancouver can put forward similar performances moving forward, they should be able to generate some momentum ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off next month.

Stats and Facts:

- Canucks hold the Oilers to under 20 shots for the first time this season

- Quinn Hughes becomes the first defenceman with 50 points through 41 games played in back-to-back seasons since Paul Coffey in 1987-88 / 1988-89

- Quinn Hughes becomes the ninth defenceman in franchise history to record 55 goals

- Quinn Hughes records the fifth multi-goal game of his career

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

14:38- VAN: Quinn Hughes (11) from J.T. Miller (PPG)
15:49- VAN: Danton Heinen (6) from Tyler Myers and Phil Di Giuseppe
18:00- VAN: Quinn Hughes (12) from J.T. Miller (PPG)

2nd Period:

4:01- EDM: Leon Draisaitl (32)
13:38- EDM: Leon Draisaitl (33) from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid

3rd Period:

No Scoring

Up Next:

The Canucks will get a few days off before returning to the ice Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Vancouver has already beaten Buffalo once this season, posting a 4-3 overtime win back in November. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.

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