Every round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has a series that leaves a lasting impact, where people say: “Wow, do you remember THAT matchup?” Through five contests, the Edmonton Oilers versus Vancouver Canucks tilt is shaping up to be the one that defines Round 2 of the 2024 Playoffs. More storylines developed and unfolded at Rogers Arena on Thursday night, with the host Canucks earning a 3-2 win for a 3-2 series advantage. Here’s how it went down.
For Once, the Canucks Dominate the Oilers
In a series that Vancouver now leads 3-2, it’s strange to note that the club had yet to put in a defining, dominant effort. They played great at times, making key plays to win two games. No one disputes that. But many were waiting for that night when they could confidently state that their side simply outplayed Connor McDavid and company. Funny enough, despite that Game 5’s final score was a narrow 3-2, it was, in fact, a dominant performance.
After capping off a dramatic win 48 hours earlier, Edmonton looked like the better side in the first period. Solid pressure in Vancouver’s zone allowed Evander Kane to punch home a one-timer from just a few feet out of Arturs Silovs’ crease, thanks to a slick pass from behind the Vancouver net. Even though Carson Soucy helped the Canucks respond as the period drew to a close, the Oilers struck again shortly after. Worse, their second goal came after Soucy coughed up the puck and fell while Vancouver was pressing.
Related: 4 Takeaways from Oilers’ Heartbreaking Game 5 Loss to Canucks
But whatever was said by head coach Rock Tocchet in the intermission, it worked. No one watching Game 5 could deny that Vancouver looked like the superior outfit for the remaining 40 minutes. They rang the puck off the post and were still sent to the penalty box a few times (more on that later), but when J.T. Miller tapped one into a gaping net with 33 seconds left, it was well deserved.
Vancouver stifled the Edmonton power play, which went 0-for-5 on the night, and the Canucks played a rare game in which they not only had over 30 shots, but they also outshot their opponents by a comfortable margin (35-23). Wins like in Games 1 and 3 felt more in line with how some would have predicted the Canucks could outduel the Oilers. Game 5 suggested they may simply be the superior club when all is said and done.
Elias Pettersson Regains Some Form
Elias Pettersson was a mystery against the Nashville Predators in Round 1, and he’s been one again in this series. With 10 playoff games in the books, it was high time he became more involved in the battle. Tocchet had toyed with his lines, and in Game 4, Pettersson was placed alongside Ilya Mikheyev and Linus Karlsson, but that didn’t bear fruit.
On Thursday, his linemates were Nils Hoglander and Elias Lindholm to start the game. Whether that produced a spark, or what Tocchet whispered in Pettersson’s ears on the bench during Game 4, or even a private meeting in the 48 hours between the contests, the Swede was a different player last night. He was fast, clever with the puck, hounded the net, and created solid scoring chances. He looked like the player who, months ago, signed an eight-year extension worth a king’s ransom.
His involvement in the game-winning goal testified to an increased urge to be in the thick of the action. Sure, the ricochet off his skate, then off the post and directly in Miller’s path was fortuitous, but some say that to be good, you have to create your own luck. Pettersson is one of Vancouver’s best players, some might argue he’s their best player. In Game 5, he put himself in positions to cause damage to the Oilers. If he continues to do that, even if he doesn’t tally a point per game, he’ll have made up for a lacklustre spring. The home fans cheering his name haven’t given up on him, nor should he.
Could Have Been Very Different for the Canucks
This goes for both Pettersson and the overall team performance. We waxed poetic about how much better both he and the club performed on Thursday, but there was a highly controversial moment that could have changed the complexity of the match.
In the second period, Pettersson was called for a charging penalty against Warren Foegele. It was a strange moment. The Oilers had regained possession of the puck in their zone, with Foegele racing out from the right side. Lo and behold, Pettersson was in his path and laid what looked like an innocuous hit – as innocuous as postseason hits can be, one supposes. The officials disagreed, claiming that Pettersson performed an illegal charge. Even Sportsnet colour commentator Craig Simpson was perplexed by the decision.
That said, as per the letter of the law – Rule 42 in the NHL’s official rulebook – “a minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates, jumps into or charges an opponent in any manner.”
The key element here is “jumps into” since Petterson is clearly not charging Foegele. One can discern that the Canucks forward hops slightly on the play, which must be what prompted the officials to make the call. It was touchy but perhaps not altogether incorrect. That said, a bad series for Pettersson could have gotten even worse had Edmonton’s power play unit done what it has inflicted on virtually everyone this season. To Vancouver’s credit, they withstood the pressure and killed one of the five penalties they were called for on the night – they had six in total, but one was in conjunction with an Oilers infraction that led to 4-on-4 play.
Every new game produces new questions. New narratives emerge from the last game’s result. The question heading into Game 6 is whether the Canucks can replicate their bravura showing. Significantly outplaying the Oilers in Edmonton is going to be a lot easier said than done. But if they play half as well as they did on Thursday, they can end the series in six games. They weren’t necessarily world-beaters in Game 6 on the road in the first round, but it got them through. The Western Conference Final is in sight, but it’s important not to look ahead.
