Oilers find scoring touch, hold off Canucks

Andrew Mangiapane and Noah Philp scored second-period goals, leading the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

Leon Draisaitl added an empty-netter with 1:13 remaining in the third as the Oilers picked up their first win of the season following a 4-3 season-opening shootout loss at home to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

Edmonton goaltender Calvin Pickard made 14 saves to improve to 2-2-1 with a 2.19 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in five career games against the Canucks.

Brock Boeser had the lone Canucks goal, and Thatcher Demko made 34 saves as Vancouver lost for the first time this season. The Canucks opened the season on Thursday with a 5-1 home win over the Flames.

Trailing 2-0, Boeser got Vancouver on the board, beating Pickard with a spin-o-rama shot for his second goal of the season, 47 seconds into the third. With the assist, captain Quinn Hughes becomes the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history (410 points).

The Oilers scored twice in the middle frame to carry a 2-0 lead into the third.

Edmonton opened the scoring at 12:21 of the middle frame as Philp's shot appeared to deflect off Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers and beat Demko short side below the glove. Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin picked up assists on Philp's first career NHL goal in his 17th career game.

Mangiapane, skating in his 500th career NHL game, doubled Edmonton's lead with 50.5 seconds remaining in the second, picking off a Filip Chytil pass attempt and beating Demko for his second goal of the season.

Edmonton outshot Vancouver 14-4 in a scoreless first period.

The Oilers appeared to have taken a 1-0 lead at 10:01 of the first period, but it was ruled that a high stick from Darnell Nurse redirected in Alec Regula's shot from the point.

--Field Level Media