Oilers have a much better Game 7 history than Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks are preparing for the first Game 7 between two Canadian NHL teams in front of a full arena in 20 years tonight.
Vancouver and Edmonton have met twice before in the playoffs, with the Oilers being victorious in each, but have never had the opportunity to play in a winner-takes-all Game 7 against one another.
There are plenty of factors specific to this series that will determine who will advance to the Western Conference Finals to take on the Dallas Stars, but these are also a couple of teams that have extensive histories of playing in Game 7s.
The Oilers have appeared in a total of 11 Game 7s since they entered the NHL in 1979 while the Canucks have played in 12 since their inception in 1970. So, which team has history on their side?
It’s looking like the Oilers.
#Oilers/#Canucks Game 7 histories according to NHL:
Oilers:
7-4 record
Last Game 7 was a 2-0 win against LA in 2022
Lost 2006 SCF to Carolina in Game 7Canucks:
6-6 record
Last Game 7 was a 3-0 loss against VGK in 2020
Lost 1994 and 2011 SCF in Game 7s— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) May 20, 2024
The Oilers hold a cool .636 winning percentage when it comes to playing in Game 7s with their latest victory coming in the form of a 2-0 victory against the LA Kings in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Defenceman Cody Ceci, of all players, scored the game-winner while captain Connor McDavid added insurance late in the game.
Before that, Oilers fans saw their team drop two consecutive Game 7s. One during their 2017 second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks and another heartbreaker in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Vancouver, on the other hand, has more of a tumultuous history when it comes to their ability to come out victorious in Game 7s. They do possess a .500 winning percentage throughout 12 games, but some of the team’s most heartbreaking losses came in this kind of situation.
The Canucks have lost two Stanley Cup Finals in Game 7 in both 1994 against the New York Rangers and 2011 against the Boston Bruins. Most recently, they were shut out 3-0 by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the 2020 second round.
At the end of the day, the Oilers do hold the historical advantage over the Canucks when it comes to their ability to come up big in Game 7. Yet, that will mean little when the two teams take to the ice tonight.
One thing is for sure: it will be one helluva game to watch.