VANCOUVER — Two games into the 2026-27 season, the Vancouver Canucks have offered an early glimpse of what their rebuild could become, splitting a wild opening series with the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena with a 6-5 overtime win followed by a 9-7 loss.
The opener gave Vancouver a foundation built on pressure and pace. The Canucks blocked 21 shots while Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves and turned Edmonton mistakes into counterattacks. With the game tied 2-2, Jonathan Lekkerimäki attacked down the right side after an Oilers turnover and beat Tristan Jarry five-hole to take the lead, then Drew O'Connor and Max Sasson combined on a quick give-and-go off another turnover for the next goal. In overtime, Paul Cotter pressured Ryan Shea into a turnover, Sasson recovered the loose puck and found Cotter again for the winner.
Sasson's matchup work stood out in Game 1. Tasked with checking Connor McDavid's line, he helped hold the Edmonton star to zero shots on goal while scoring and assisting on the overtime winner. The rematch flipped. Edmonton came in waves in Game 2, building leads of 5-0 and 8-2 before Vancouver closed late, with McDavid finishing with five points and Sasson enduring a tougher night. "Careless with the puck, didn't defend hard enough, kind of lost structure and details," Schenn said. "If we want to have a chance, we've got to play as a five-man unit. That's the only way."
Vancouver's defensive-zone coverage broke down for long stretches in the second game, leaving too much space and forcing extended chases. With three defencemen under 23 in the lineup, mistakes are expected against Edmonton's firepower, but the staff has stressed they cannot be paired with lost battles and poor structure. There was pushback after falling behind 8-2, as the Canucks scored four straight to make it 8-6 and Elias Pettersson returned after needing stitches earlier in the game to finish with three points. "I am proud how we didn't give up and went till the buzzer there," Cotter said afterward, a response closer to what Manny Malhotra wants this team to look like.
The high scoring was not isolated to Vancouver. Through three days of the 2026-27 season, 107 goals were scored across 15 games, and for the first time since 1995 multiple teams scored at least seven in their opener. The regular season has increased from 82 to 84 games while the preseason was cut to four, a factor in early sloppiness, but Vancouver's pace off the rush has been noticeable. The Canucks cannot rely on six or seven goals nightly or ask goalies to repeatedly bail them out, and will need to find ways to win 2-3 goal games as the schedule tightens. The split follows Oilers' 9-7 win over Vancouver where the late rally fell short, leaving plenty for a young roster to clean up while showing speed and resilience.