Tanner Pearson had two goals and two assists to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night at Rogers Place.
“We’re just playing a little loose right now,” head coach Dave Tippett said. “You’re chasing goals and chasing the game, you don’t have the same commitment to defending. We’ve got to have the mindset to defend better.”
LISTEN BELOW: Dave Tippett
Tyler Graovac sniped a power play goal 3:31 into the first period to make it 1-0 Canucks. Ten minutes later, Tanner Pearson tried a centring pass on a shorthanded two-on-one. The puck deflected in off Mike Smith for Pearson’s second shorthanded goal of the season.
Connor McDavid scored 42 seconds later to give the Oilers some life.
Zack Kassian fired in his ninth of the season to tie it 5:05 into the second. The Canucks came back with two goals in the final seven minutes of the second. Pearson tapped a loose puck just over the goal line, then Loui Eriksson chopped in a pass from Bo Horvat.
“I thought we did a good job battling back,” McDavid said. “They’re a team you can’t play from behind. You’ve got to try to have a lead on these guys because they’re good at shutting it down.”
LISTEN BELOW: Connor McDavid
Josh Leivo jammed in a wraparound early in the third, giving the Canucks three goals in 7:34.
It’s just the second time this season the Oilers have lost back-to-back games in regulation time.
“I think we should look at our own game and come back strong tomorrow,” Adam Larsson said. “It’s a quick turnaround and I think that’s good for us.”
LISTEN BELOW: Adam Larsson
The Oilers, 16-9-3, will play in Vancouver on Sunday. Catch the game on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m. The game will start at 8 p.m.
“I like this, playing back-to-back. You get to jump right back at it,” Tippett said. “They came in here and schwacked us, we go back in there tomorrow and it gives us an opportunity to jump back.”
—with files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Escott and Scott Johnston
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