The Canucks played their fourth preseason game in Edmonton tonight and improved their record to 3-1. The second exhibition game against the Oilers ended much differently than the first with a Canucks 6-1 blowout. 
Despite being outshot in the first period and a somewhat slow start, the Canucks managed to never trail in the game. The lineup was littered with players who needed to play hungry and impress and they did just that. The regulars like Horvat, Baertschi, Miller, and Leivo appear to be getting more comfortable as well.
The Canuck lineup featured a top line of regulars and a bottom nine built of players looking to prove something. We saw a pairing we could see when the season starts in Benn and Stecher and Markstrom got the nod for the full 60 minutes.
On the other end, the Oilers lineup consisted of a lot of names who are fighting for spots on the roster and a handful of players who are expected to be there. Prior to the game, Coach Tippett told us to watch out for his players down the middle, but in the end, there wasn’t much worth watching. Koskinen played the first 40, while Starrett did his best for the remaining 20. Neither goalie had a night to remember.
Highlights
Numbers of Interest
Game Summary
The game started slow for the Canucks who saw themselves get outplayed in the first despite leaving for the room with a 2-1 lead thanks to Rafferty, who opened the scoring and the magic from Schaller and Beagle. There were similar vibes to the last meeting between these clubs, but that all changed in the second.
The Canucks picked up the pace and played more together while the Oilers unwound by taking undisciplined penalties and not moving their feet as they did in the opening frame. The Canucks took advantage during an efficient powerplay with a Baertschi goal from a slick Horvat feed. It’s good to see Baerstchi get a goal that you know felt good for him. As for Bo, you can tell he’s starting to see the ice better and really feel it, and his goal in the third was further proof of that.
As the second bled into the third the Canucks kept the pressure on and really took the air out of the building. They added two more in the third and never looked back.
It wasn’t an overly physical game in the beginning, but teams picked it up as it played out. Discipline from both sides isn’t something the coaches are going to love.
Special teams looked good for the Canucks as well. The powerplay was efficient and the penalty kill kept the Oil to 0/4.
Top Performers
  • Guadette played a determined game and was very noticeable scoring the nicest goal of the night. His patience, hustle and passing ability were on full display tonight.
  • A bit more quietly, Horvat played as if he’s close to being regular season ready. He skated very well and got on the scoresheet with a goal, primary assist, and four shots.
  • Markstrom had a solid night stopping 26 of 27 shots. He looked comfortable in net and playing the puck during his few instances.
All in all, tonight was a great showing for many Canucks and Green has to like what he saw tonight.