EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Kyle Turris scored the shootout winner and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Turris, a 32-year-old forward who had a career high 64 points with the Ottawa Senators in 2014-2015, has fallen on tough times recently with five points in 27 games with the Oilers last season. He is eager to turn things around.
“It’s really big,” Turris said of the shootout winner. “I’ll be the first to admit I had a bad year last year. Coming back, I want to prove myself and that is what I am working towards doing. To get a shift in overtime and to be out in the shootout, it definitely helps to build the confidence and it is something I have to take advantage of.”
Jesse Puljujarvi and Zach Hyman scored in regulation for the Oilers, who squandered a late lead. Edmonton also got a pair of assists from Connor McDavid. Mike Smith finished with 36 saves.
“It was the first win of the season and that is big,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “You have to get that first one down and build off of it. You don’t want to be losing leads in the third period, and that is something we are going to have to clean up, but at the same time we were resilient and didn’t give up the third one, didn’t give up a goal in OT and found a way to win in the shootout.”
Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 32 saves.
“They obviously have some fast players and I thought we played a hard-working game,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “To come in on the road and battle back and get a point, I was pretty happy with our effort tonight.”
Edmonton got the game’s first goal with three minutes left in the first period when Puljujarvi snagged a rebound from a Darnell Nurse shot and beat Demko.
Midway through the second, the Oilers' Kailer Yamamoto had a breakaway, but Demko was able to make the stop.
The Oilers made it 2-0 with three minutes left in the second with a three-way passing play finished off when Hyman scored his first goal as an Oiler into a wide-open net, off a feed from Leon Draisaitl.
Vancouver finally beat Smith when Ekman-Larsson scored on a shot from the point on a power play with about 7:30 left in the third.
The Canucks tied the contest with 2:49 left in the third period when Hughes snuck a shot in short side, eventually sending the game to overtime.
NOTES: Edmonton forward Colton Sceviour signed a one-year, two-way contract Wednesday. The deal has an average annual value of $750,000. The 32-year-old Sceviour attended training camp on a professional tryout. Also, forward Zack Kassian was placed on injured reserve, and forward Josh Archibald was put on long-term injured reserve. Defenseman Philip Broberg was loaned to Bakersfield and forward Kyle Turris was recalled from the American Hockey League affiliate. ... It was the third consecutive season that the teams have faced off in the season-opener. ... Both teams had significant changes in the offseason, with the Oilers sporting seven new faces and the Canucks featuring 13 new players. ... Edmonton went 6-1-1 in preseason play, while Vancouver was 2-5-0.
UP NEXT
Canucks: At Philadelphia on Friday night.
Oilers: Host Calgary on Saturday night.
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