In a highly anticipated NHL Pacific Division clash, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 at Rogers Place on Thursday (Jan. 23).
Zach Hyman scored twice for the Oilers, who charged out to a 3-0 lead after the first period and went ahead 5-0 in the middle frame.
Edmonton also got goals from Leon Draisaitl, Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek each scored once for Vancouver.
Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard made 24 saves in a winning performance, while Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots.
The lopsided victory provided Edmonton with a measure of revenge after losing 3-2 to Vancouver in a heated affair at Rogers Arena last Saturday (Jan. 18). That game saw Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Canucks blueliner Tyler Myers both assessed match penalties and subsequently suspended three games each, forcing both to sit out Thursday’s rematch.
Peace Ultimately Prevails
Given how things ended in Vancouver five days earlier, with McDavid crosschecking Conor Garland after being egregiously smothered by the Canucks forward, and Myers doing likewise to Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard, there was an expectation that there might be some rough stuff at Rogers Place on Thursday.
But while the game got chippy, it never quite boiled over. There was a total of 34 penalty minutes assessed between the two teams, and that includes a 10-minute misconduct to the Canucks’ Mark Friedman who was sent off early in the third period after apparently having a bit too much to say. All other penalties were minors, as no one fought.
Things are heating up quickly in Edmonton ???? pic.twitter.com/oAODFhEecx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 24, 2025
The most notable scrum happened midway through the second period, when all 10 skaters on the ice congregated behind Edmonton’s net, and Oilers forward Corey Perry took down star Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes.
Perry Worms His Way Under Canucks’ Skin
Perry was a thorn in the Canucks’ side all night long. From going after Hughes, in what was almost surely retaliation for Garland’s actions towards McDavid last Saturday, to engaging in constant chatter with the Vancouver bench, Perry showed exactly why he’s called “The Worm”.
The 39-year-old veteran even managed to draw a penalty on Teddy Blueger, right after Blueger was tripped by Edmonton’s Ty Emberson resulting in a two-minute minor for the Oilers defenceman.
Blueger went after Perry, throwing a couple fists while the Oilers forward simply held his assailant at length. That resulted in a roughing minor for Blueger, nullifying what would have been a power play for the Canucks early in the third period with Vancouver trailing 5-2. Perry skated back to his bench laughing all the way.
All in all, Thursday’s game was a masterclass of being a pain-in-the-you-know-what by Perry, who finished the night with one assist, two penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of plus-3, and a locker room full of Canucks ticked off with him.
Horrendous Homecoming for Desharnais
Vincent Desharnais, who played two seasons in Edmonton before signing as a free agent with the Canucks last summer, had a dreadful game in the rink he once called home.
The towering rearguard was assessed three minor penalties, all of which put the Oilers on the power play. Edmonton scored twice with their former teammate in the box, with Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins each recording a goal on the man advantage.
This was the first time that Edmonton scored multiple power-play goals in a game since potting two against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 29, nearly four weeks ago.
Nugent-Hopkins Climbs Leaderboard
In addition to scoring on the power play, Nugent-Hopkins also assisted on Draisaitl’s goal with the man advantage. That gives the longtime Edmonton winger 285 career regular season power-play points (from 76 goals and 209 assists), moving ahead of Mark Messier for fourth most in Oilers history.
Nugent-Hopkins also recorded an assist on the power play against the Canucks last Saturday, which moved him ahead of Doug Weight for third-most all-time on the Oilers.
Wayne Gretzky is Edmonton’s all-time leader in the regular season for power-play assists, with 314, and power-play points, with 439. Meanwhile, Draisaitl added to his record total for most regular season power-play goals in franchise history, now with 155.
Draisaitl Making His Case For MVP
Draisaitl picked up assists on Hyman’s first goal and the power-play marker for Nugent-Hopkins, giving the veteran centre a three-point night as he continues to elevate his game in McDavid’s absence. Over Edmonton’s five games without its captain this season, Draisaitl has racked up five goals and six assists for 11 points, helping the Oilers go 3-2-0 in the process.
Related: Oilers’ Draisaitl Can Show He’s the MVP While McDavid Is Suspended
His terrific performance Thursday was just another example of why Draisaitl deserves to be the front-runner in the Hart Memorial Trophy. Draisaitl ranks first in the NHL with 35 goals, second with 74 points, second with a plus/minus rating of plus-27, and first with nine game-winning goals.
Edmonton will play one more game before McDavid completes his suspension, Saturday afternoon at Rogers Place against the Buffalo Sabres.
