So sad to say goodbye: Dakota Joshua of Vancouver Canucks announces his leaving after secure a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers due to….
Dakota Joshua contributed a goal and two assists as the Vancouver Canucks mounted an impressive comeback, scoring three third-period goals to secure a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Wednesday.
Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm also scored for Vancouver, with J.T. Miller and Conor Garland adding to the tally. Carson Soucy provided two assists. Meanwhile, the Oilers, propelled by goals from Zach Hyman (2), Mattias Ekholm, and Cody Ceci, took a 4-2 lead into the final period, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl.
Despite a slow start with only five shots in the first period, Vancouver dominated the second and third periods, outshooting Edmonton 19-7. Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs made 13 saves for the Canucks, while Stuart Skinner stopped 19 of 24 shots for the Oilers.
Edmonton, coming off six days of rest after defeating the L.A. Kings in the first round, capitalized on an early power play opportunity when Nugent-Hopkins set up Hyman for the opening goal. However, Vancouver had its chances, notably with Garland’s breakaway attempt.
The Oilers extended their lead to 2-0 in the first period after Ian Cole’s pass attempt was intercepted by Draisaitl, who set up Ekholm for a goal. Draisaitl continued his impressive playoff performance with his second assist of the game, maintaining his streak of points in all six of Edmonton’s playoff games.
Vancouver responded quickly in the second period with a goal from Joshua, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Despite the Canucks’ efforts to equalize, the Oilers extended their lead to 3-1 midway through the period.