Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each had a goal and an assist as the host Edmonton Oilers came away with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday in NHL pre-season play.
Derek Ryan also recorded a goal for the Oilers (5-1-1), who won their third in a row.
Quinn Hughes and Nic Petan replied for the Canucks (2-4-0), who have lost two straight.
Edmonton’s lethal power play was given a two-man advantage and cashed in seven minutes into the first period when McDavid sent it across to Draisaitl, who blasted a one-timer past Vancouver goalie Jaroslav Halak.
The Oilers power play struck again with 1:26 left in the opening frame when goalie Mike Smith sent a long pass up ice and McDavid put a puck past Halak short to the glove side for his third goal and ninth point in four pre-season games.
The Canucks got one back with a power play of their own as Hughes blasted a long shot through traffic past Smith two minutes into the second period.
Vancouver scored the game’s fourth power-play goal three minutes later as Petan tipped an Elias Pettersson pass into the net.
Edmonton regained the lead with an even-strength marker midway through the middle period as Ryan tipped in a Duncan Keith point shot.
There was a scary situation late in the third when Oilers forward Zack Kassian hit his head on the ice with his helmet popped off after a fight with Zack MacEwan. Kassian laid motionless for a while, but was later able to head to the dressing room on his feet, albeit with help.
Halak made 39 saves, while Smith stopped 35 shots.
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It was the first of three consecutive games between the Oilers and Canucks. They will close out pre-season play on Saturday in Vancouver before facing each other again to start the regular season on Wednesday back in Edmonton.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
