THIRD PERIOD
0.0: Play Tarzan Boy! Smith makes 32 saves for his 41st-career shutout while Chiasson, Puljujarvi and McDavid all score in the Oilers 3-0 win over Vancouver. The club gets the road series sweep and will face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Place on Saturday.
22.1: Captain McDavid ices this one with an empty-net goal. He’s up to 14 markers this year.
3:53: Edmonton gets a chance to seal this one with their fifth power play of the evening. The club is 2-for-4 tonight.
#Oilers score multiple PP goals for the 6th time this season, tied for the most in the NHL.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) February 26, 2021
7:25: JESSE! Draisaitl puts the puck on net and Puljujarvi smacks in the rebound to give the Oilers a two-goal lead. His sixth goal of the season comes on the power play. Draisaitl and McDavid collect the helpers. | EDM 2, VAN 0
8:51: The Oilers do a great job of not letting Vancouver’s power-play unit setup. McDavid is brought down and Edmonton gets a turn to go up a man.
11:02: Jesse Puljujarvi swipes at Virtanen and ends up bringing him down. He’ll sit two minutes for tripping.
13:15: The Canucks come out on the power play and fire on all cylinders, getting a few good looks but nothing that illuminates the goal horn. McDavid sets up Nugent-Hopkins in-tight at the other end but he is stopped by Demko.
20:00: The third period has begun with the Oilers shorthanded for a full two minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
0.0: The second period concludes with the Oilers leading by a goal. Smith continues his strong performance, stopping a bullet one-timer courtesy of Elias Petterson. Ethan Bear takes a late hooking minor on Sutter as the horn sounds. Shots are 29-21 VAN.
2:13: Adam Larsson takes a holding minor as the Canucks get their second chance on the power play.
7:25: SMITTY! The Oilers keeper makes back-to-back stops on Virtanen and then a scrum ensues as the Canucks search for the loose change.
11:06: Demko denies Draisaitl once again, this time on a quick forehand-backhand 5-hole slip.
12:19: SPIN & SHOOT! Alex Chiasson gets the puck on the goal-line then spins around and zips it far-side to FINALLY bust Demko, who made an incredible pad save on McDavid just before. Chiasson has four goals on the year now with his latest coming on the power play. Assists go to Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. | EDM 1, VAN 0
14:13: Smith makes a great point-blank save on Adam Gaudette. McDavid is later hauled down on a net drive, warranting a hooking minor against Vancouver.
16:48: The Oilers storm out with some energy, getting to work in the offensive zone and forcing the Canucks to ice the puck a few times.
20:00: The second period has begun!
FIRST PERIOD
🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩
Donuts across the board after 20 in Vancouver.#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/YtHR3WZdfs
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 26, 2021
0.0: Smith and Demko duke it out in a first-period goaltender’s duel. Shots are 13-9 VAN but the game remains scoreless.
3:18: The Oilers keep knocking on Vancouver’s door but Demko is keeping it locked for now. Kailer Yamamoto kisses iron on a partial break then Jujhar Khaira’s shot on a breakaway is kicked aside. Demko has eight saves already, many of them from Grade-A opportunities.
7:51: Demko sees Smith and raises him with three huge saves on the Oilers man advantage. The first two come on Leon Draisaitl from the doorstep then the third on McDavid from just outside the slot.
10:53: Virtanen heads back to the box after hooking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He has given the Oilers two power plays tonight.
11:04: Smith keeps the door shut shorthanded with big saves on a J.T. Miller deflection then Brock Boeser wrister.
13:27: Josh Archibald goes hard to the net then can’t stop in time before crashing into Demko. He is whistled for goaltender interference. Edmonton goes to the PK.
16:23: McDavid, who will get double-shift duty tonight, sends a backhander at Demko from a sharp angle but the keeper holds it tight.
18:14: BACK-AND-FORTH! Brandon Sutter attacks on a breakaway but can’t beat Smith then Connor Mcdavid turns up the other way and is stopped by Thatcher Demko in-flight.
19:11: Jake Virtanen clubs the puck out of play in his own zone, giving the Oilers the first power play of the evening.
20:00: Tonight’s Reverse Retro Jersey night has begun! Mike Smith starts in net and the Oilers will roll with seven defencemen as Ethan Bear returns on the blueline.
💥💥💥#ReverseRetro | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/c2QgPw6t1p
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 26, 2021
TONIGHT’S LINEUP
RNH – McDavid – Puljujärvi
Kahun – Draisaitl – Yamamoto
Ennis – Khaira – Archibald
Haas – Chiasson
Nurse – Barrie
K. Russell – Larsson
Jones – Bouchard
Bear
Smith
Koskinen
OUT: James Neal, Patrick Russell, Kyle Turris
OILERS TODAY | PRE-GAME AT VAN