Garland and Lekkerimäki Lift Canucks Past Oilers in OT Of Preseason Finale

In the last preseason game of the 2025-26 season, the Edmonton Oilers headed to Vancouver with a mostly full lineup to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Stuart Skinner was out due to illness, Jake Walman still wasn’t ready, and Mattias Janmark was injured, out another week. Of course, there was still no Zach Hyman. Meanwhile, the Canucks also ice most of their starters, so this was as close to a real game as preseason would offer. 

The question for the Canucks would be if they could contain the top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Trent Frederic, who combined for seven points in the previous preseason game between these two teams. 

The Canucks allowed Draisaitl to get one on the power play, but they did a much better job limiting the top line’s chances. The Oilers went up 2-1, but the Canucks scored two, including an overtime winner from Conor Garland to give the Canucks the 3-2 win. 

EDM lineup vs. VAN:

Draisaitl – McDavid – Frederic

Podkolzin – RNH – Mangiapane

Henrique – Philp – Savoie

Howard – Tomasek – Kapanen

Ekholm – Bouchard

Nurse – Stecher

Kulak – Emberson

Pickard

Tomkins

Oilers’ Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Goalies

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Oilers’ Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Defense

First Period:

The opening period was fairly evenly played, with Vancouver holding a slight edge in shots. It was the last shot of the period that was the best of the first 20 minutes, and it gave Vancouver a lead going into the intermission. 

The Canucks generated the more dangerous looks.

The Oilers earned the first power play when Kiefer Sherwood was called for tripping. David Tomasek took the net-front role and nearly converted on a slick feed from McDavid, but Thatcher Demko turned him aside. Edmontonâ€s second unit struggled to sustain momentum, with Ike Howard fanning on a pass that stalled the sequence.

Out of the box, Sherwood nearly created a chance the other way, but Calvin Pickard came out aggressively to deny him.

At 17:48, Kasperi Kapanen was whistled for interference, sending Vancouver to its first man advantage. Former Oiler Evander Kane forced Pickard into a solid save, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins generated a shorthanded look. But with 9.3 seconds left in the frame, Jonathan Lekkerimäki wired a high shot over Pickardâ€s glove to break the deadlock. Braeden Cootes picked up the assist, giving the Canucks a 1–0 lead. 

Second Period:

Leon Draisaitl opened the second period with a substantial shift, showcasing his puck protection skills. He felt he should have drawn a penalty when he was taken down, but he didnâ€t get the call. The first whistle didnâ€t come until 3:12, and through the opening five minutes, neither side generated much offense as the play remained scrambly.

Edmonton finally pushed back with some extended zone time, highlighted by a pair of chances, the best by Andrew Mangiapane. Vancouver managed to survive the pressure. Another four minutes ticked away before the next stoppage, during which Teddy Blueger forced Calvin Pickard into a solid save.

The Canucks began to build momentum, but it was quickly halted when David Tomasek sprung Kasperi Kapanen on the rush. Kapanen hammered a one-timer past Demko and shifted play back in Edmontonâ€s favor.

Moments later, pressure from Noah Philp, Matthew Savoie, and Adam Henrique drew a holding penalty, sending the Oilers to the power play. Edmonton wasted little time converting—Evan Bouchardâ€s point shot produced a rebound that landed on Draisaitlâ€s stick, which he buried to give the Oilers a 2–1 lead.

Third Period:

Defenseman Elias Pettersson didnâ€t return to start the third period after taking a shot to the chin from teammate Vasily Podkolzin, but he rejoined the play around the 2:30 mark, indicating he was fine to continue.

The Oilers opened the frame with an early chance from Andrew Mangiapane, who couldnâ€t quite pull the puck from his backhand to forehand in tight on Thatcher Demko. Vancouver responded with a strong shift around the three-minute mark, hemming Edmonton in, before the Oilers pushed back with a few dangerous looks—again led by Mangiapane.

Mattias Ekholm took the first penalty of the period, and the Canucks made him pay. Jonathan Lekkerimäki blasted home his second goal of the night, wiring a one-timer past Calvin Pickard to make it 2–2.

The game opened up at the midway point, with chances at both ends. Edmonton ran into penalty trouble soon after, as Mangiapane was called for roughing and Leon Draisaitl for removing Petterssonâ€s helmet, putting the Oilers down two men. Evander Kane then tripped Ty Emberson, leading to a brief 4-on-3 situation after a Canucks timeout. Remarkably, the Oilers killed off all three penalties.

As time wound down, several Edmonton rushes were broken up before they could develop. Connor McDavid tried to generate speed through the neutral zone a few times but was denied each time by the Vancouver defense.

In the final minute, the Oilers loaded up their top line in search of the winner, but couldnâ€t break through. Regulation ended with the teams deadlocked at 2–2, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime:

The Canucks controlled play for the first 90 seconds of overtime, pulling the puck in and out of the zone. Conor Garland eventually danced around a tired trio of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard. He potted it past Pickard, and the Canucks took the win. 

There were some bright spots for the Oilers, including Tomasek, who got plenty of opportunity to be a difference-maker. There was some solid hustle from Mangiapane and noticeable speed from Savoie.

Edmonton will now finalize its roster cuts and prepare for the opening game of the season on Wednesday, October 8. 

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