The Vancouver Canucks gutted out a close Game 6 victory on Friday night. Their win over the Nashville Predators has punched their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s the first time Vancouver has made the second round since the 2020 bubble playoffs. Awaiting them in the second round in 2024 is the Edmonton Oilers.
It’s been a while since the Oilers and Canucks have faced off in the playoffs. In fact, you have to go back over 30 years to find their previous matchup. Edmonton and Vancouver last met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1992, according to Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor.
Both teams have a chance to end a major drought in Canadian hockey. A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993. That year, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers-Canucks matchup guarantees at least one Canadian team in the final four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Canucks defeat Predators in six games
The Vancouver Canucks had a surprisingly good 2023-24 season. In fact, they went on to win the Pacific Division this year after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year. Their performance earned them a matchup against the top wild-card team coming out of the Western Conference. This year, that team was the Nashville Predators.
The Canucks pulled out the Game 1 victory in remarkable fashion. However, they ran into some injury issues soon after. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko went down with an injury. And he did not return to the ice before the end of the series. Nashville claimed Game 2 before falling in Games 3 and 4.
Ahead of Game 4, Vancouver ran into another injury issue. The Canucks lost veteran goalie Casey DeSmith for the rest of the series. Arturs Silvos then stepped in between the pipes, and overall, he played well. He lost Game 5 but helped Vancouver win in overtime in Game 4 and posted a shutout in Game 6 to clinch the series.
Oilers beat Kings for third straight year
While the Canucks dealt with the Predators, the Oilers took on a familiar foe. Edmonton faced off with the Los Angeles Kings for the third year in a row in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers picked up series victories in 2022 and 2023 as part of their playoff runs.
The Oilers hoped that 2024 would turn in a similar outcome. And they got off on the right foot with a 7-4 victory over Los Angeles in Game 1. The Kings did end up getting one back in Game 2. It seemed at that point that we would see another close playoff series between these Pacific Division rivals.
However, that was not on the cards. Edmonton took complete control of the series after Game 2. They allowed one goal or less in two of the next three games. This includes a 1-0 shutout in Game 4 to give the Oilers a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5, Edmonton finished the Kings off with a 4-3 victory in front of their home fans.
The Oilers are hoping to win a Stanley Cup while they have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl under contract. Vancouver, meanwhile, has never won the Stanley Cup in their franchise’s history. Will Edmonton get one step closer to their goal? Or can the Canucks contain McDavid and Draisaitl? No matter the outcome, this series is certainly a must-watch for neutral hockey fans.
