Edmonton, Alberta — Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists, Connor McDavid added three assists and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 on Saturday night to avoid elimination and force a deciding Game 7 in their second-round playoff series.
Dylan Holloway, Zach Hyman and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers, and Stuart Skinner stopped 14 shots.
Nils Hoglander scored for Vancouver, which is trying to make it to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2011. Arturs Silovs finished with 22 saves.
Game 7 is Monday night in Vancouver, with the winner advancing to face Dallas in the Western Conference final.
Edmonton started the scoring at 8:18 of the first period as Leon Draisaitl fed it up to Holloway and he danced through the defense before tucking it between Silovs’ legs for his third of the playoffs. Draisaitl has picked up at least one point in all 11 playoff games this season.
Less than two minutes later, the Canucks evened it up as Elias Pettersson sent a pass from behind the net out front to Hoglander, who snuck his first of the playoffs past Skinner just past the midpoint of the period.
The Oilers looked to have scored with 1 second remaining in the first on a point shot from Bouchard, but the goal was called off due to McDavid making incidental contact with Silovs.
The shots were just 4-4 through the first 20 minutes.
Edmonton went ahead for good at 7:14 of the second as McDavid spotted Hyman in the slot and his shot deflected and bounced up and over Silovs and into the Vancouver net for his 10th of the playoffs. McDavid came into the game having only recorded one assist in his previous three games combined.
McDavid picked up another assist with 8:40 to play in the second as Bouchard scored his fifth goal and 17th point of the postseason on a long shot from the point. The Oilers’ captain became just the 10th player in NHL history to record 20 playoff points in three consecutive seasons with his second assist.
Edmonton outshot Vancouver 14-5 in the second.
The Oilers made it 4-1 just 3:25 into the third period as McDavid picked up his third assist, sending a backhand pass to a hard-charging Nugent-Hopkins, who scored his third of the playoffs.
Edmonton put the game away with just under 7 minutes left as the draw came back to Kane and he unleashed a wicked wrister for his fourth of the postseason.
Skinner returned in goal for the Oilers after Calvin Pickard started the last two games.
Draisaitl became just the fourth player in NHL history to record 60 assists in 60 playoffs games and the third in league history to get to 100 points – behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
Barkov wins Selke Trophy
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, the league announced Saturday night.
Barkov is a two-time Selke winner after also finishing first in voting for the award in 2021. He was a big part of the Panthers allowing the fewest goals this season and won 57.3% of his faceoffs, ranking ninth among players with at least 50 games and 500 attempts.
The 28-year-old center from Finland received 156 of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and was listed on all but two ballots.
In the playoffs, Barkov has led Florida to a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference final.
More:St. Clair Shores native and 1980 Olympics hockey gold medalist Wells dies at 66
Canada tops Finland at worlds
Defending champion Canada had to recover from an early scare before rallying to beat Finland 5-3 for its fifth victory from five games at the ice hockey world championship on Saturday.
Captain John Tavares set up the winning goal with his second assist with 8:28 remaining in the final period, finding Brandon Hagel at the left post to score into an open net. It was only the second shot on goal for Canada in the period.
Canada joined Switzerland in second place in Group A, a point behind leader the Czech Republic. All three sealed playoff-round spots.
Also for Canada, Owen Power (Michigan) scored a goal and added two assists, Dylan Cozens had a goal and an assist and Brandon Tanev scored. Jordan Binnington stopped 29 shots.
Sullivan to coach at 2026 Milan Olympics
Mike Sullivan was selected U.S. coach for the 2026 Milan Olympics on Saturday, an expected move that puts the two-time Stanley Cup champion in charge of the country’s bid for its first gold medal since the “Miracle On Ice” in 1980.
USA Hockey also announced the Pittsburgh Penguins coach will be behind the bench for the Four Nations Face-Off next year, a tournament the NHL will showcase in February 2025 for a taste of international competition leading up to the Olympics. Milan marks the return of NHL players to the Olympics after missing the past two.
“We’re excited to have Mike guiding our teams,” U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said. “He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win.”
Sullivan, a native of Marshfield, Massachusetts, was an assistant at the 2006 Olympics, also in Italy in Turin. Most recently he was on John Tortorella’s staff for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Each of those events went disastrously for the U.S., which also lost to eventual champion Canada in the semifinals of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and then to Finland in the bronze-medal game.
Eastern Conference playoff matchups
Third round
Florida vs. N.Y. Rangers
▶ Game 1: Wednesday @ New York, 8
▶ Game 2: Friday @ New York, 8
▶ Game 3: Sunday @ Florida, 3
▶ Game 4: Tuesday, May 28 @ Florida, 8
▶ Game 5: Thursday, May 30 @ New York, TBA
▶ Game 6: Saturday, June 1 @ New York, TBA
▶ Game 7: Monday, June 3 @ New York, TBA
Second round
Eastern Conference
Carolina vs. N.Y. Rangers
(Rangers win 4-2)
▶ Game 1: Rangers 4-3
▶ Game 2: Rangers 4-3 (2OT)
▶ Game 3: Rangers 3-2 (OT)
▶ Game 4: Hurricanes 4-3
▶ Game 5: Hurricanes 4-1
▶ Game 6: Rangers 5-3
Boston vs. Florida
(Panthers win 4-2)
▶ Game 1: Boston 5-1
▶ Game 2: Florida 6-1
▶ Game 3: Florida 6-2
▶ Game 4: Florida 3-2
▶ Game 5: Boston 2-1
▶ Game 6: Florida 2-1
Western Conference
Colorado vs. Dallas
(Stars win 4-2)
▶ Game 1: Avalanche 4-3 (OT)
▶ Game 2: Stars 5-3
▶ Game 3: Stars 4-1
▶ Game 4: Stars 5-1
▶ Game 5: Avalanche 5-3
▶ Game 6: Stars 2-1 (2OT)
Edmonton vs. Vancouver
(Canucks lead 3-2)
▶ Game 1: Canucks 5-4
▶ Game 2: Oilers 4-3 (OT)
▶ Game 3: Canucks 4-3
▶ Game 4: Oilers 3-2
▶ Game 5: Canucks 3-2
▶ Game 6: Saturday @ Edmonton, TBA
▶ Game 7: Monday @ Vancouver, TBA
American Hockey League playoffs
Central Division final
Grand Rapids vs. Milwaukee
(Grand Rapids leads best-of-five series 1-0)
▶ Game 1: Grand Rapids 4-2
▶ Game 2: Monday, May 20 @ Milwaukee, 8
▶ Game 3: Wednesday, May 22 @ Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Game 4: Friday, May 24 at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Game 5: Sunday, May 26 @ Milwaukee, 6
ECHL
Western Conference Final
Toledo vs. Kansas City
(Best-of-seven series)
▶ Game 1: Friday @ Toledo, 7:15
▶ Game 2: Saturday @ Toledo, 7:15
▶ Game 3: Monday, May 20 @ Toledo, 7:15
▶ Game 4: Friday, May 24 @ Kansas City, 8:05
▶ Game 5: Saturday, May 25 @ Kansas City, 8:05
▶ Game 6: Monday, May 27 @ Kansas City, 5:05
▶ Game 7: Wednesday, May 29 @ Kansas City, 8:05
Road to the Memorial Cup in Saginaw
(Saginaw hosts May 24-June 2)
▶ Friday, May 24: Moose Jaw vs. Saginaw, 7:30
▶ Saturday, May 25: London vs. Drummondville, 4
▶ Sunday, May 26: Saginaw vs. Drummondville, 7:30
▶ Monday, May 27: London vs. Moose Jaw, 7:30
▶ Tuesday, May 28: Drummondville vs. Moose Jaw, 7:30
▶ Wednesday, May 29: Saginaw vs. London, 7:30
▶ Thursday, May 30: Tie breaker (if necessary)
▶ Friday, May 31: Semifinal, 7:30
▶ Sunday, June 2: Final, 7:30
CHL finals in WHL, OHL, QMJHL
Western Hockey League
Moose Jaw vs. Portland
(Moose Jaw wins 4-0)
▶ Game 1: Moose Jaw, 3-2
▶ Game 2: Moose Jaw, 5-1
▶ Game 3: Moose Jaw 4-3 (OT)
▶ Game 4: Moose Jaw 4-2
Ontario Hockey League
Oshawa vs. London
(London wins 4-0)
▶ Game 1: London 8-1
▶ Game 2: London 9-1
▶ Game 3: London 7-6 (2OT)
▶ Game 4: London 7-1
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Baie-Comeau vs. Drummondville
(Drummondville wins 4-0)
▶ Game 1: Drummondville, 5-0
▶ Game 2: Drummondville, 1-0 (OT)
▶ Game 3: Drummondville 6-2
▶ Game 4: Drummondville 4-3