Honestly, if you missed the middle frame of last night's game, you basically missed the whole show. People have been asking who won the Oilers game because for a while there, it looked like Edmonton’s offense had just... vanished. They went nearly 110 minutes without a single goal. That’s five and a half periods of nothing. Dead air.
Then Saturday night in Vancouver happened.
The Edmonton Oilers didn't just win; they absolutely dismantled the Vancouver Canucks 6-0. But here is the kicker: every single one of those six goals happened in the second period. It was a 20-minute blitz that left Rogers Arena so quiet you could hear a skate blade chip the ice.
The Second Period Explosion
Hockey is usually a game of ebbs and flows, right? Not this time. After a scoreless first period where both teams looked a bit tentative, the Oilers decided to break their scoring drought by opening the floodgates.
Jack Roslovic finally cracked the code just over three minutes into the second. It wasn't pretty—a backhand that sort of trickled through Nikita Tolopilo—but it counted. Vancouver tried to challenge for goaltender interference because Curtis Lazar was hovering near the crease, but the refs weren't having it.
Once that first one went in, the Canucks just crumbled.
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Zach Hyman notched his 17th of the year on a power play just a few minutes later. Then it was the Kasperi Kapanen show. He’s been finding his legs since coming back from injury, and he looked dangerous all night, potting two goals in that same period. Roslovic added another one too. By the time Vasily Podkolzin scored against his former team with about three minutes left in the frame, the score was 6-0.
Six goals in 13 minutes and 23 seconds.
It’s actually only the 12th time in the history of the Oilers franchise that they’ve put up six goals in a single period. Funny enough, the last time they pulled that off was also against the Canucks back in 2017.
Tristan Jarry's Big Night
While the forwards were busy lighting up the scoreboard, Tristan Jarry was quietly putting on a clinic at the other end. It’s easy to forget about the goalie when your team scores six, but Jarry had to earn this shutout.
He stopped 31 shots in total. Vancouver actually outshot Edmonton in the third period 15-9, trying desperately to at least ruin the clean sheet, but Jarry was a wall. This was his second shutout of the season and the 23rd of his career. For a guy who has had some ups and downs lately, seeing him locked in like that is a huge relief for Edmonton fans.
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The defense helped out, sure, but Jarry made a handful of high-danger saves when the game was still technically "close" in the first and early second. Darnell Nurse mentioned after the game that once the team got on the front foot, they just came in waves. That’s much easier to do when you trust your guy between the pipes.
Milestones and Lineup Notes
There was a bit of a local feel to this one. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who grew up just down the road in Burnaby, picked up two assists. That puts him at 999 career games.
Think about that.
He’s set to hit the big 1,000-game mark tonight back in Edmonton against the Blues. It’s a massive milestone for the longest-tenured player on the roster. It was also notable who wasn't on the ice. Leon Draisaitl was out of the lineup, which usually means the Oilers struggle to find secondary scoring. Instead, the "middle six" guys like Roslovic and Kapanen stepped up in a way we haven't seen much this season.
On the other side of the ice, things are looking grim for Vancouver. That’s 10 losses in a row now. They looked completely deflated after Hyman’s goal made it 2-0.
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What This Means for Edmonton
The Oilers are now 24-17-8. They’ve been hovering around that "good but not great" line for a while, but a blowout win like this can change the vibes in a locker room instantly.
The biggest takeaway isn't just the win; it's the depth. If Edmonton can get production from guys like Roslovic and Podkolzin while McDavid and Draisaitl do their thing, they are a nightmare to match up against in a seven-game series.
If you are keeping track of the stats from last night:
- Final Score: Oilers 6, Canucks 0.
- Goal Scorers: Roslovic (2), Kapanen (2), Hyman, Podkolzin.
- Goaltending: Jarry (31 saves, 0 GA).
- Power Play: Oilers went 1-for-4.
Moving forward, the Oilers have a quick turnaround. They flew back to Edmonton right after the game to prep for a Sunday night matchup against St. Louis. Back-to-backs are always a grind, but coming off a 6-0 win usually gives you a bit of extra wind in your sails.
Keep an eye on the Nugent-Hopkins ceremony tonight. Reaching 1,000 games with one franchise is becoming increasingly rare in the modern NHL, and doing it the day after a massive rivalry win makes it even sweeter.
Check the starting goalie for the St. Louis game later today; with Jarry playing the full 60 last night, expect to see Calvin Pickard get the nod at Rogers Place.