Vancouver Canucks rally in the third period to overtake Edmonton Oilers in Game 1

The Vancouver Canucks had an ominous start to Game 1 in their series with their Western Canadian rival, the Edmonton Oilers. They did everything Coach Rick Tocchet said they could not do against a powerful Oilers team.

An avoidable penalty for too many Canucks players on the ice in the first minute of the game forced a power play. It has been well-documented how good the Oilers are on power plays, and this was no exception. Before fans at Rogers Arena had their seats warm, the Canucks were down 1-0. The first period was all Oilers, playing the aggressors and leading 2-0 at the end of the period.

Though the second period was far better with the Canucks settling in and scoring two goals, the Oilers also scored two goals in under a minute. The Oilers maintained their lead 4-2.

A 3-goal third period sealed the deal

Aside from the first period where it seemed as though the Oilers were having their way with the puck, the Canucks were not playing poorly, but the scoreboard going into the third period did not show that.

Then, the tide turned, and the Canucks were able to break down Stuart Skinner with three third-period goals to take the lead and grab the win, 5-4.

Though Arthur Silovs did not have a shutout like the last game in Nashville, he played well in only his 13th career NHL game. Only one of the four goals should have been blocked. Deflections and bad bounces contributed to the others.

As has been the case throughout the playoffs, it was a team effort with goals scored by Dakota Joshua, Elias Lindholm, JT Miller, Nikita Zadorov, and Conor Garland along with outstanding defense led by Quinn Hughes who took his share of hits in the game, a strategy the Nashville Predators used and the Oilers continued.

The Canucks won a playoff game at home matching the number of home playoff wins they had in the Nashville series when they also won Game 1 at home. They jump out to an important lead in the series, temporarily silencing critics who talked about the Oilers' experience, impressive power play skills, and overall advantages in this series.

Game 2 is Friday night at the Rogers Arena, and if it is anything like Game 1, get your popcorn ready, Canucks fans.