Oilers hold off Canucks in Game 7 to win West semifinal series
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected one goal and one assist as the visiting Edmonton Oilers rode a three-goal second period to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday to win Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Cody Ceci and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, while Evan Bouchard collected two assists. Leon Draisaitl added a helper, giving him at least one point in all 12 of Edmonton’s postseason games this season.
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Stuart Skinner made 15 saves for the Oilers, who will face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals, which begin Thursday.
Conor Garland and Filip Hronek replied for the Canucks, who had a 3-2 series lead but could not find the clincher. Goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 26 shots.
Vancouver was without top goal-scorer Brock Boeser in Game 7 because of blood-clotting issues.
The Canucks failed to even register a single shot on goal during a late four-minute power play in the first period. They failed to convert their final 14 man advantages of the series, and that proved to hold them back.
After a scoreless first period that saw the Oilers outshoot the hosts 13-2, Ceci finally opened the scoring 76 seconds into the second period. He wired a top-corner point shot for his second goal of the playoffs.
Hyman doubled the lead at 5:50 of the middle frame by deflecting Bouchard’s point shot for his 11th marker of the postseason.
Then Nugent-Hopkins notched a power-play tally at 15:22, just as the Canucks were finally gaining momentum, when he found the mark with a sharp-angled offering for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
The Canucks have posted a few thrilling comebacks and came close with another.
Garland finally put the Canucks on the board with 8:33 remaining in regulation by taking advantage of a turnover in the slot and burying his third goal of the playoffs.
Then Hronek’s first career playoff goal, a seeing-eye point shot, made it a one-goal game with 4:36 on the clock.
However, Vancouver could not drum up the equalizer.
