Canucks finish season with shootout loss
EDMONTON — Devin Shore was the lone player to score in a shootout session that went 10 players as the Edmonton Oilers managed to close out the season with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, without star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who were given a rest in advance of the playoffs.
Brett Kulak and Tyson Barrie also scored for the Oilers (49-27-6) who set a new franchise record for consecutive games with a point at home, going 14-0-1 in their last 15 appearances at Rogers Place. Edmonton, which will face the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs, has also won seven of its last eight overall.
J.T. Miller and Conor Garland responded for the Canucks (40-30-12) who ended their campaign with losses in four of their last six, after missing post-season play.
The Canucks almost got on the board with a power-play opportunity midway through the first when a shot was trickling into the net behind Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen, but Duncan Keith fished the puck to safety just in time.
However, Vancouver would start the scoring with 2:27 left in the opening frame when Miller blasted a shot off the crossbar and into the net for his 32nd goal and 99th point.
There was no scoring in the second period, with the Canucks sitting at 30 shots after 40 minutes, while the Oilers had 18 on Vancouver starter Spencer Martin.
Edmonton tied the game 31 seconds into the third as a Kulak blast from the point found the back of the net with with Evander Kane providing the screen in front.
Vancouver moved back ahead two minutes later on a goal Koskinen would like back as Garland tucked it under his arm from about the face-off dot.
The Oilers knotted the game back up nine minutes into the third on a long-range bomb through a screen by Barrie, eventually sending the game to extra time.
Edmonton hosts the opening game of their first-round series against the Kings on Monday.