Canucks pull off unbelievable comeback win against Oilers in Game 1
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The hockey world was shocked after the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a stunning upset victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Canucks won 5-4 after a frantic final frame where they scored three times in the last 11 minutes to secure a victory.
J.T. Miller, Nikita Zadorov, and Conor Garland scored within five minutes to completely flip the script on this game. The tying and game-winning goals came just 39 seconds apart.
CONOR FREAKING GARLAND OH MY GOODNESS !!! pic.twitter.com/YM2PI09kx8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024
“It’s a fake shot, trying to freeze him,” explained Garland about the move. “He’s a good goalie… he’s going to be hard to beat throughout the series.”
Rogers Arena was rocking as the Canucks shocked the Oilers and pulled off this massive comeback.
“The crowd was really loud and it was a lot of fun,” said Elias Lindholm postgame.
“At the end there, when [the Oilers] had the puck, I don’t think they kind of knew how much time was left. Everyone tried to scream and let them know on the ice but the crowd was really good for us.”
TALK ABOUT A VIBE AT ROGERS ARENA š£ļø pic.twitter.com/XnRTdecK7J
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024
“Once the crowd gets behind us, it gives us a lot of confidence,” said Dakota Joshua.
The Canucks outshot the Oilers 24-17 and controlled a lot of the five-on-five play. The visitors managed just two shots in the third period as the Canucks put their stamp on the game.
The game didn’t get off to the start that the Canucks wanted. They took a too-many-men penalty less than a minute into the game, allowing the dominant Oilers power play onto the ice. Zach Hyman made it 1-0 for the visiting team shortly after.
The Oilers managed to build a 4-1 lead by the end of the second period. They scored on a few shots that Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs would likely want another chance at, including some that took unpredictable bounces.
“Games aren’t perfect,” said the Latvian goalie after the game. “There’s things that may happen against you but you have to stay composed, stay calm because you never know.”
THAT'S TWO FOR HYMAN! š„µ pic.twitter.com/vzRploZfhU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024
Down 4-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining, Miller got the comeback started with a beautiful tip from the side of the net. The goal brought the Canucks within one and gave life to Rogers Arena.
ONE. GOAL. GAME. pic.twitter.com/GQOETD2px8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024
The place exploded shortly after when Zadorov blasted a shot to tie the game.
The big defenceman now has three goals and five points in seven playoff games. He’s been one of the team’s best players in the postseason.
“There’s a lot of belief in this group,” said Zadorov after the game. “We’ve done it before in Nashville, I don’t think anybody [was] giving up even when we were down for a while.”
NIKITA ZADOROV! šØ TIE GAME IN VANCOUVER!! pic.twitter.com/KuFaS05Njn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 9, 2024
Head coach Rick Tocchet was hyped after the game and celebrated with a few high-fives with fans.
“He’s a big part of that,” said captain Quinn Hughes referencing the coach’s role in the team’s belief. “It starts in September, really it started last year trying to get us to believe and kind of get the stink out of here.”
Coach is just like us. pic.twitter.com/l5J6NAxCrK
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 9, 2024
Garland completed the comeback with his shifty move to the outside before finding some space to beat Stuart Skinner. It was his first goal of the playoffs and capped off a great performance from his line alongside Lindholm and Joshua.
“I thought we played a good game overall,” said Lindholm about the trio after the game. “Didn’t give them too much and got rewarded. Everyone scored one each so it was a good game.”
The Canucks played a strong game. They also got some big saves from their goalie down the stretch.
“I don’t think we had any passengers,” said Tocchet after the game.
“I was battling for the guys,” said Silovs. “They did such an amazing job today and in my mind, I couldn’t let them down.”
“He’s been tremendous for us,” said Hughes after the game. “He made some big saves when it mattered tonight.”
It was the first time in 15 months that the Oilers blew a three-goal lead. It was also the first time in Connor McDavid’s playoff career that he was held without a shot.
There’s only one day off for each team before Game 2 takes place on Friday. The puck will drop for that contest at 7 pm PT.
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