Evan Bouchard's OT tally lifts Oilers over Canucks in Game 2

Field Level Media|published: Sat 11th May, 01:29 2024

May 10, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) makes a save on Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter (24) during the first period in game two of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. credits: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Evan Bouchard scored in overtime to give the visiting Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday and evened their Western Conference semifinal series at one win apiece.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid both scored once in four-point games for Edmonton. Mattias Ekholm added a goal, and Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made 16 saves.

Building on a third period in which they outshot the Canucks by a 15-2 margin, the Oilers were rewarded when Bouchard joined a rush led by his team's dynamic duo, took a drop pass and sent a long shot that banked into the net off the stick of Canucks defenseman Ian Cole at 5:38 of overtime.

McDavid and Draisaitl are the third-fastest players in NHL history to reach 90 career playoff points, both reaching the mark in 56 games. Their pace was eclipsed only by Wayne Gretzky (43 games) and Mario Lemieux (45 games).

Nikita Zadorov collected one goal and one assist for the Canucks, while Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser also tallied. Goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 27 shots and J.T. Miller collected two assists.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday in Edmonton.

Three times the clubs exchanged goals, with the Oilers erasing a deficit each time.

Pettersson netted a power-play goal at 4:14 of the first period to open the scoring, utilizing a quick release after receiving Miller's cross-ice pass. It was his first of the postseason.

Draisaitl responded with a power-play goal at 10:56 of the first. He finished a perfectly executed give-and-go with McDavid for his sixth tally of the playoffs.

Boeser's marker 53 seconds into the second period, a neat deflection of Carson Soucy's point shot for his fifth of the playoffs, put Vancouver ahead a second time. However, Ekholm tied the game 23 seconds later with a shot from the slot for his second of the playoffs.

Zadorov's fourth goal of the playoffs, a sharp-angled offering from the bottom of the left circle with 1:43 remaining in the second period, gave the hosts their third lead. But McDavid converted a breakaway opportunity at 5:27 of the third period for his second goal of the payoffs, again tying the clash.

—Field Level Media

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