Oilers eliminate Canucks with MASSIVE Game 7 victory
The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a nail-biter Game 7 by a score of 3-2.
Edmonton opened up a 3-0 lead after the first two periods before the Canucks stormed back with two of their own in the third period. A PP goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wound up being the difference.
“I thought we played 52 great minutes,” Connor McDavid said after the game. “They’ve had our number [all season] and it feels good to come out on top in this series.
“It was a tight series, a passionate series, both fanbases going crazy. It’s fun to come out on top of that.”
It came down to the final minute, but the Oilers were able to hold onto the lead.
THE OILERS HOLD ON FOR THE WIN! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Nmi39PZtA3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2024
It was a textbook game for the Oilers as they limited the Canucks to just two shots in the first period and 12 through the first 40 minutes. Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci got the other goals while Stuart Skinner was fantastic between the pipes, stopping 15 of the 17 shots that Vancouver managed to get on the net.
Mr. Game 7
Just about nobody had Cody Ceci as the player who would open up the scoring in Game 7, but he did.
It was an innocent-looking play on the half-boards where he sent a shot to the net that somehow eluded Arturs Silovs. This is the second straight Game 7 where the defenceman was able to score the first goal of the game.
CODY CECI STRIKES FIRST IN GAME 7! 💪 pic.twitter.com/mkBwFBmDWS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2024
Ceci is a very popular teammate in the Oilers’ dressing room and though he isn’t known for his offensive production, he managed two goals in this series. Moving him down to the team’s third pair has seemingly sparked him in the playoffs.
Special special teams
The Oilers came into Game 7 with no power-play goals in the last two contests, but that all changed tonight.
It took them a few tries but it was Nugent-Hopkins who rekindled that group’s magic, corralling an Evan Bouchard shot off the end boards and roofing it past Silovs for the game-winner.
“The power play has gotta show up and score some timely goals and the PK has gotta stop them
The Nuge comes through in Game 7. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/vXGppS0Ez3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2024
Not to be outdone, the penalty kill also came up huge as they went a perfect 3/3 which included a lengthy four-minute kill in the first period when the game was scoreless.
“It’s something that we take so much pride in all season and this is why,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “It can make the difference in a game like this…The power play has gotta show up and score some timely goals and the PK has gotta stop them
“We got so many great killers [and] guys who that can do the job on the power play.”
Special teams were always going to be a huge part of this series and though the Canucks gave a valiant effort, it was the Oilers who wound up winning that critical battle in the end.
Bucking the trends
Several trends were going against the Oilers in this one.
The big one was the fact that neither the Canucks nor the Oilers were able to string together two straight victories all series long. With Edmonton coming up victorious in Game 6, it would seem that the trend would shift back to Vancouver for the penultimate game.
A big reason for the win was the play of Skinner, who had a fantastic game between the pipes.
“I know there’s proof now that I have it in me to bounce back like that,” Skinner told reporters. “It definitely feels good, I’d definitely say it’s something I’m proud of.”
The team found a way to carry on the momentum from that big win and put up a solid effort to close things out.
A BOUCH BOMB TIPPED BY HYMAN! 💣 pic.twitter.com/GcbUOBpSQD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2024
The Oilers are now a perfect 2/2 when it comes to eliminating a Western Canadian team in the second round of the playoffs. They took down the Calgary Flames in 2022 and now the Canucks in 2024.
This is the second time in three seasons that the Oilers will play in the Western Conference Finals. Edmonton was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and will look for a much better result when they head to Texas to take on the Dallas Stars in Game 1 on Thursday night.
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