(2P) Oilers at (1P) Canucks
Western Conference Second Round, Game 2
10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, SN360, TNT, truTV, MAX
Vancouver leads best-of-7 series 1-0
VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks can take a 2-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Second Round with a victory in Game 2 at Rogers Arena on Friday.
The Canucks won 5-4 in the series opener on Wednesday after battling back from a 4-1 second-period deficit to showcase their resilience when trailing.
Despite its successful comeback, Vancouver is not interested in spotting Edmonton another early advantage in Game 2.
“I think each game in the series has its own life and each game in the series is going to have its own challenges,” Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said Friday. “Tonight, we’re just going to focus on the first shift, and everyone is going to try and bring their best from the start and see where that gets us.”
The Oilers are well-versed in coming back after opening-game losses during the Stanley Cup Playoffs; prior to the 7-4 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the first round, Edmonton had not won a postseason series opener since the second round against the Anaheim Ducks in 2017. After that, the Oilers lost Game 1 in seven straight playoff series and came back to win three times.
“I think we try not to get too low after playoff losses, that’s an easy thing to do," Edmonton forward Evander Kane said, "and I think we’re a group that has shown resiliency and has been able to dig ourselves out of holes here. Obviously, it's never fun losing in the postseason, especially Game 1, but we have an opportunity to rebound and make good on that.”
Here are 3 keys for Game 2:
1. Containing McDavid
Vancouver has done a good job limiting Connor McDavid this season and prevented the Oilers captain from registering a shot in Game 1 for the first time in his Stanley Cup Playoff career (55 games).
McDavid had an assist in the 5-4 loss and four points (one goal, three assists) in three games against the Canucks during the regular season. Vancouver’s top line of Pius Suter, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser have been effective in keeping McDavid in check.
“Honestly, you never really feel comfortable when you’re playing against him,” Miller said. “I said I didn't want to look too much at the regular season, but I think we've had a little bit of success just because we're sticking to the game plan.”
That plan includes limiting turnovers in the neutral zone and focusing on forwards taking away lanes up ice and making it harder for the speedy McDavid to wind up coming out of the Edmonton end. McDavid leads all players this postseason with 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in six games.
“We know he bounces back better than anybody and we’re expecting him to be really strong today,” Miller said. “So we have our hands full today, and honestly, we have to turn the page from last game.”
2. Killer instinct
Edmonton built a three-goal lead in Game 1 and was in control before giving up a goal with 2:59 remaining in the second period and three more in a span of 4:48 in the third period to lose.
If the Oilers find themselves ahead again in Game 2, they will seek a different approach to try to put the Canucks away.
“For sure, that’s the killer instinct that we talk about and work on during the regular season,” Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl said. “It’s something that we’ve done a pretty job on this year for the most part, but it obviously got away from us a little bit in that game.”
Edmonton was 29-3-1 when leading after two periods this season and 4-0 in the playoffs before giving up the third-period lead to Vancouver in Game 1.
“I think it’s very important when you have a lead to not open up; giving bad passes, feeding their transition and not giving them odd-man rushes,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Power plays are very important and it’s an excellent opportunity for teams to get back in it.
"I think our discipline has been very good throughout the playoffs and the other thing is having the attack mentality of still pushing and spending time in the offensive zone, not sitting back and still have a strong forecheck.”
3. Getting physical
The teams are facing each other in a playoff series for the first time since 1992 and played one game against each other in this calendar year, so there was not a lot of pent-up animosity going into Game 1.
Though there were a handful of big hits in the series opener, it was otherwise a tame affair without a lot of jostling back and forth. The tone is expected to change in Game 2.
“I don’t know if they’re over there ready to give us hugs and I don’t know if we’re ready to give them any hugs,” Kane said. “It’s Game 2, we’re focused on getting the split here and going back home and that’s really our big focus.”
Going into the series, the Canucks wanted to be physical with the Oilers' skilled forwards, but Vancouver forward Dakota Joshua said it's important for his team to pick its spots.
“You have to finish checks when you get your chances, and I’m sure they’re thinking the same thing,” Joshua said. “There is definitely a timing to it. It’s easy to let your emotions get the best of you in these games and you want to run around sometimes, but the further and further you go (in the playoffs) it’s about finding those right times.”
Oilers projected lineup
Warren Foegele -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Leon Draisaitl -- Evander Kane
Dylan Holloway -- Ryan McLeod -- Corey Perry
Mattias Janmark -- Derek Ryan -- Connor Brown
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci
Brett Kulak -- Vincent Desharnais
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Philip Broberg, Jack Campbell, Sam Carrick, Ryan Fanti, Sam Gagner, Troy Stecher
Injured: Adam Henrique (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov -- Ian Cole
Arturs Silovs
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Nikita Tolopilo
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
Status report
Draisaitl is a game-time decision but expected to play despite not practicing Thursday and not taking part in an optional morning skate Friday; he left during the second period of Game 1 with an apparent injury, but returned to play in the third. … Carrick, a center who played 16 regular-season games and three in the first round after being acquired in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks on March 6, will play if Draisaitl does not. … Henrique, a forward who was playing on the top line, is also a game-time decision after skating for a second straight day Friday, his first time on the ice since Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in five games in the first round; if Henrique can’t play, Foegele will move up in his spot on left wing of the top line after Janmark played in that spot in Game 1. … The Canucks will not make any lineup changes from Game 1.
NHL.com independent correspondent Kevin Woodley contributed to this report
