We’re back with another instant analysis article to recap the Vancouver Canucks’ 2-1 overtime loss against the Edmonton Oilers in the Canucks’ second preseason game of the year.
It was a much better lineup for the Canucks after we saw an AHL-heavy lineup have a 10-spot dropped on them this past Sunday.
Lines tonight against the Oilers!
Sportsnet
Sportsnet 650@TicketmasterCA | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/aGbhtKcKIT— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 28, 2023
Cole McWard didn’t look that out of place with Quinn Hughes on the top pairing. McWard took a penalty in the first period but for the most part, was able to get the puck to Hughes with good accuracy on his passes. The two worked well in the offensive zone and Hughes was especially good in the defensive zone. Hughes used body positioning and a quick stick to be aggressive at his one blue line and disrupted a ton of Oilers’ entry attempts throughout the game.
Hughes also scored the first goal of the preseason as he fired a shot from the point that took a friendly bounce and beat Stuart Skinner in the second period to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead.
First goal as Captain pic.twitter.com/qWhk4fD4yK
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 28, 2023
Another player who impressed was Arshdeep Bains, who didn’t get into any NHL games last season but seemed to fit in well with Aatu Räty and Conor Garland on the Canucks’ third line. Bains saw time on both the power play as well as the penalty kill and didn’t have much flash to his game but he consistently made good decisions with the puck and worked hard to force turnovers and finish his hits.
We keep saying this more and more but Bains is going to play NHL games, and it may be sooner than we expected.
Now it’s your turn to sound off in the comments as we put together our postgame report.
What did you like or dislike about the Canucks in this game?
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