Goaltending has become the story of the Western Conference second-round playoff series between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
Arturs Silovs made 42 saves on Sunday night, and the Canucks held on for a 4-3 win at Rogers Place in Edmonton to put Vancouver up 2-1 in the series.
Silovs, the Canucks goalie, has been forced into action after starter Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith were injured during Vancouver’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators.
He has a .898 save percentage in the series, but the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner has really struggled. He has a .818 mark for the series and was replaced after two periods by Calvin Pickard on Sunday night after allowing four goals on 15 shots.
Also, as the game ended, Vancouver’s Carson Soucy crosschecked Edmonton star Connor McDavid high after McDavid slashed at Soucy’s legs. Soucy received a minor penalty. McDavid was held without a point for the second game in the series.
Oilers’ defenseman Evan Bouchard brought the Oilers to within a goal with 1:16 left and Pickard pulled for the extra attacker.
Leon Draisaitl, who also had an assist, pulled the Oilers to within 3-2 with a power-play goal 3:36 into the second period. His seventh goal of the playoffs came on his signature one-timer from below the bottom of the right circle.
But Elias Lindholm’s second power-play goal of the game restored the Canucks’ two-goal lead with 2:26 left in the middle period. He put in a backhand shot from in front.
Vancouver led 3-1 after the first period.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead on the power play 5:37 into the game. It gave the Oilers a power-play goal in their first eight games of the playoffs, which ties a franchise record.
Vancouver tied it with its own power-play goal at 8:43, by Lindholm. He tipped in a shot by Brock Boeser, who was originally credited with the goal.
Since the scoring change was not made until the first intermission and Boeser scored the next two goals, it was thought for a time that Boeser had accomplished a natural hat trick.
The first of Boeser’s actual goals gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead with 6:43 left in the opening period on a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle.
Boeser then scored with 1:27 left in the first after a turnover in the Edmonton zone by Warren Foegele in the Edmonton zone. Left wide open in front of the Oilers’ net, Boeser beat Skinner.
So Boeser had to settle for two goals and an assist in the period.
Game 4 is Tuesday at Rogers Place at 9:30 p.m. ET.