EDMONTON, AB - The Vancouver Canucks came from behind by a pair of goals on Friday night to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 at Rogers Place before the start of the holiday break.
Canucks forward Bo Horvat had two goals and two assists, with the Canucks captain netting the game-winner with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining in the third period to lift Vancouver into their first lead before adding an empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation.
"I mean, that's the question, right? That's the question of the game," captain Connor McDavid said about the Oilers play after holding a 2-0 lead in the first period. "We had a good start that we wanted and we cough it up. Obviously not the second period we wanted, but we still had a chance and have to find a way to win that game. There's just no way around it."
J.T. Miller added a pair of goals to help get the Canucks back to a .500 win percentage with back-to-back wins heading into the NHL's pause for the holidays. The Oilers enter the break with an 18-15-2 record and 38 points.
McDavid became the first player to reach 30 goals in the NHL this season off a nice passing play with Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl with five seconds left in the first period, reaching the mark for the seventh time in his career. Derek Ryan opened the scoring with his fifth of the campaign, beating Canucks netminder Collin Delia on a breakaway before the midway mark of the opening frame.
Edmonton resumes its schedule after the holiday break with the Battle of Alberta this coming Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
"It doesn't matter who we play. It's a big game no matter who we're playing," McDavid said. "Obviously Calgary, we know the history there, so it's a big game for us. That's the bottom line."
GAME RECAP: Canucks 5, Oilers 2
Horvat's four points and a pair of goals from Miller lead the Canucks in a comeback win over the Oilers on Friday before the holiday break