Oilers give embarrassing effort in blowout loss to Canucks: ‘We laid an egg’

The much anticipated season opener turned out to be, as Brett Kulak so eloquently described, “Sh***y.” 

An Edmonton Oilers team that vowed to be better defensively was indeed excremental in its own zone. 

Jack Campbell had turned it around, until he was left watching from the far end of the bench in his season-opening start, wearing the ball cap of shame. 

The best power play in hockey history went one-for-four, while the penalty kill was eviscerated on a three-goal night by the Canucks power play. 

And the mighty Oilers began their season with an 8-1 paddling at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks. 

You picked who to win the Stanley Cup this season…? 

“I saw us lose a ton of battles. Things that normally are hallmarks of our game did not show up. It was a preseason level of intensity, a preseason level of execution,” said head coach Jay Woodcroft. “There are a lot of things wrong with what we just saw out there. You saw it. Our players saw it. The coaches saw it. Our managers saw it. Not good enough. 

“We laid an egg.” 

It was an egg at 5-1. That it ended 8-1 was more of a cow patty, from an Oilers perspective. 

They — more pointedly, Connor McDavid — were sour that the Canucks ran their top power play out there late in a 6-1 game, but it should be said the power play opportunity came courtesy of a needless McDavid cross-check that reeked of frustration. And it was followed by a wicked Leon Draisaitl slash that Oilers fans would bemoan, had that lumber landed on the back of their fallen player’s leg. 

When you play this bad it’s not a good look to criticize anyone but the guy in the mirror, and Darnell Nurse knows it. 

“Simply wasn’t good enough,” he said. “They brought a higher level of compete. Not good enough.” 

OK — let’s not overreact here. It’s one game into an 82-game season. The Oilers had won five straight in this building, and they get the Canucks again on Saturday at home. 

They fumbled on their opening drive. Let the first ground ball of the season dribble through their legs. 

Perhaps what we saw was an Oilers team that is making the switch from a man-on-man defensive scheme, to a more passive zone system. They were one step behind in a nobody-knew-where-they-needed-to-be display — a group of players who were thinking before they reacted, a cardinal sin in a sport as fast as this one. 

Nurse retreated to his net front on the Canucks second goal, as the new plan dictates, and when Brock Boeser walked in from the circle Nurse was too far away to help. He became a screen and the Boeser was well on his way to a season opening, four-goal night. 

“We’ve been playing the system for over a month now,” Nurse said. “You’re still ironing out kinks, but I think we’re all smart enough in this room to be able to adapt and play better than that.” 

For Campbell, this was a disappointment. His team gave him nothing by way of support, and he gave them just about the same amount back. 

No amount of goaltending could have rescued an effort this derelict, but for a guy coming off an outstanding pre-season like Campbell, a few big saves might have been better than none. 

“We hung both guys out to dry tonight,” said McDavid, who took the “we have to learn from this route,” rather than stamping his feet and gnashing his teeth. 

As the captain, he sets the tone, and this was one of serious reflection. We suspect an effort on Saturday that will be McDavid led, with plenty of followers. 

But, still…. Eight to one? 

“Not sure how to explain that start to the season,” McDavid said. 

It was, alas, a total team effort. 

Evan Bouchard could not have been softer. Kulak can lay claim to two early goals against. Evander Kane (minus-4) was slow, and went minus-4. McDavid wasn’t close to good enough without the puck. Draisaitl’s passing eye was strangely off. Neither goalie gave their team a save. 

Connor Brown was indeed Zach Hyman Lite, but the problem was that Hyman was even lighter. 

You name an Oiler, and we’ll tell you how they stunk. 

Captain’s skates started on Sept. 5. Then they had a full training camp, and eight pre-season games. 

Then they skate out for the opener in Vancouver, and play like a bunch of guys who just met each other out in the parking lot for the first time. 

“Everyone’s in the room, eager to play game one,” Kulak said. “We’re in here, preparing and excited to go out there, and that was the outcome. 

“It’s sh***y.” 

Oh boy, was it ever.

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Boeser has first career four-goal night as Canucks rout Oilers in season opener

Brock Boeser had his first career four-goal game and led the Vancouver Canucks to an 8-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers in the season opener for both squads on Wednesday night.

Conor Garland, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, along with four assists, and Dakota Joshua added the others for Vancouver.

Thatcher Demko stopped 21-of-22 shots he faced, while Casey DeSmith made five saves.

Leon Draisaitl scored the consolation goal for Edmonton, extending his point streak against the Canucks to 19 games.

Oilers netminder Jack Campbell was pulled in the second period after the fourth goal, which he gave up on just 16 shots.

However, Stuart Skinner didn’t fare much better in his place, giving up another four goals on 17 shots.

Boeser finished his night with an easy tap-in after Quinn Hughes’s shot hit Miller and fell to the waiting forward 5:43 into the third period.

After racking up his first three assists, Miller turned goal scorer when he fired in a wrist shot from near the point to make it 7-1 at 6:56 of the third.

The Canucks opened the scoring at 8:06 in the first, with Garland getting on the end of a Peterrsson pass that eluded Edmonton blue liner Brett Kulak.

Vancouver doubled its lead just over three minutes later when Phillip Di Giuseppe pressed hard on the forecheck, with Miller claiming the loose puck and flipping it to Boeser and he buried it past Campbell.

The goals came in quick succession as Boeser completed his hat trick at 7:30 of the second period after a shot hit him in the leg and trickled in.

Joshua put a cap on the scoring barrage when Sam Lafferty broke free down the right wing at 14:48 in the third period and slid it across to Joshua. The centre took two cracks at it, burying it past Skinner.

Boeser’s hat trick was the first to start the season for the Canucks since Greg Adams in 1987.

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Canucks’ Demko leaves game vs. Oilers with flu symptoms

Goaltender Thatcher Demko left the Vancouver Canucks season opener against the Edmonton Oilers in the third period with flu symptoms, head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters after the game.

The flu has been going around the team all week, but it didn’t seem to impact the team’s on-ice performance, as the Canucks embarrassed the Oilers 8-1 to pick up their first win of the season.

Demko stopped 21 of 22 shots he faced before he left the game, replaced by Casey DeSmith, who did not allow a goal in the final 11 minutes of the third period.

The Vancouver Canucks held a pre-game ceremony to mark Hughes being named captain for the 2023-24 NHL season.