Oilers use late heroics to tie Canucks at two games each
Edmonton Oilers defensemen Evan Bouchard.
The Edmonton Oilers went from disappointment to ecstasy in 62 seconds on Tuesday night.
Defenseman Evan Bouchard scored with 39 seconds remaining to give the Oilers a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place to tie the Western Conference second-round series at two games each.
Bouchard's goal, his fourth of the playoffs, was on a screened wrist shot from the high slot area after taking a pass from Leon Draisaitl.
It was Bouchard's second game-winning goal of the series. The first came in overtime in Game 2.
His winner Tuesday came after the Canucks' Dakota Joshua tied the game 2-2 with 1:41 left in regulation and goalie Arturs Silovs pulled for the extra attacker. Brock Boeser's shot from the left circle went in off of Joshua's skate.
The contest was also a duel between two goaltenders who began the season as the third puck stopper in their organizations.
Calvin Pickard made 19 saves for Edmonton in his first career playoff start. The 32-year-old journeyman began the season in the American Hockey League. He got the start Tuesday in place of struggling starter Stuart Skinner. Pickard replaced Skinner to start the third period in Game 3.
It was Pickard's first career playoff start and win.
Of course, Silovs, who spent most of the season in the AHL, has been forced into action because of injuries to starter Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith in the first round.
Silovs stopped 27 shots.
Conor Garland put the Canucks on the board 6:52 into the third period on a shot from the high slot that deflected off of Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. It was Garland's second goal of the playoffs.
Draisaitl's power-play goal gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead with 8:50 left in the first period. It came on his patented one-timer from below the right circle. It marked Draisaitl's eighth goal of the playoffs.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 2-0 Edmonton with 40 seconds left in the second period. He scored on a wrist shot from the right circle on a two-on-one rush with Connor McDavid. Nugent-Hopkins used McDavid as a decoy, looking at McDavid as he shot the puck to collect his second goal of the playoffs.
Draisaitl (8-12-20), McDavid (2-16-18) and Bouchard (4-11-15) are the playoffs' leading scorers.
Game 5 will take place at 10 p.m. ET Thursday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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