Arturs Silovs Leads Vancouver Canucks to 4-3 Victory Over Edmonton Oilers in Game 3
Arturs Silovs put on a goaltending clinic with 42 saves, propelling the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night at Rogers Place. With this win, the Canucks now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.
"After the game, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl expressed his belief that his team had dominated for much of the match, stating, 'I thought we were the better team for the most part and, in my eyes, it should have resulted in a win, but that’s not the way hockey works sometimes.'"
The Oilers got off to a strong start with their second unit power play, as Mattias Ekholm netted the game's opening goal off a rebound from Evander Kane's shot. However, the Canucks swiftly responded with a power play goal of their own, as Elias Lindholm redirected Brock Boeser's shot past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Boeser continued to be a thorn in the Oilers' side, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to extend the Canucks' lead to 3-1 by the end of the first period.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch emphasized the need for persistence and continued pressure despite the deficit, stating, "You look at the amount of opportunities we have — we just have to be persistent and continue to push and we’ll get some more breaks."
In the third period, the Oilers clawed back within a goal when Draisaitl scored a sharp angle one-timer past Silovs. However, Lindholm's second power play goal of the game restored the Canucks' two-goal lead late in the period.
Calvin Pickard took over goaltending duties for the Oilers in the third period, replacing Skinner, who allowed four goals on 15 shots.
Despite a late surge and outshooting the Canucks 22-3 in the third period, the Oilers fell short in their comeback bid. The game concluded with a heated exchange between Connor McDavid and Carson Soucy, culminating in a post-game scrum.
Looking ahead, Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday at Rogers Place, with live coverage available on 630 CHED starting at 5:30 p.m. with The Faceoff Show, followed by the game at 7:30 p.m.