Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
Preseason game four of six for the Vancouver Canucks took place at Rogers Place in Edmonton tonight. It was a somewhat lopsided matchup, as Vancouver only sent a handful of veterans among NHL hopefuls, while Edmonton iced a stacked roster highlighted by
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That reflected in the final score. Anyway, let’s get into the game.
First period
Well, it didn’t take long for McDavid and Draisaitl to get on the board in this matchup. On his first shift of the game, the two Oilers stars got to work in the offensive zone.
Draisaitl finds McDavid on the halfwall. Derek Forbort takes a wrong pivot, which gives McDavid time and space to head toward the net and sends the puck into all the commotion at the net front. Draisaitl gets a weak shot on net and gets his own rebound. He misses the net, but it was a perfect miss as McDavid gets possession and is able to sneak it under
Thatcher Demko at the side of the net.
The Oilers take an early lead.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/LSKEXuVoyv
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
1-0 Oilers.
A few minutes later, the Canucks had some offensive zone success off a strong forecheck from
Kiefer Sherwood. His pressure forced the Oilers defenceman into a sloppy turnover through the middle of the Edmonton zone, which perfectly set up PO Joseph to step into a slapshot that rings right off the post.
PO Joseph unleashes a bomb off a brutal Oiler turnover but he hits iron.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/5TrNO63cxl
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
The Canucks kept the pedal to the metal, as Drew O’Connor had two chances in tight, but to no avail. His best chance came off a spinning deflection in the air, which Skinner stopped. O’Connor wasn’t the only Canuck attempting a spinning attempt, as Filip Chytil picks up speed through the neutral zone and challenges an Oilers defenceman one-on-one, getting a quality backhand chance off.
Filip Chytil has been flying in the preseason!
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/XbEzG96d0T
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
But then, it was McDavid’s turn to hit the ice, and he got on the board again.
Max Sasson had a good stick to tip the puck off McDavid and clear the zone. But it didn’t take long for the Oilers to regain the zone and get to work.
Draisaitl carries the puck into the zone and finds McDavid with speed. He walks into the slot and rips a shot off Demko’s pads, but he’s unable to corral the rebound, leaving a sitter for Trent Frederic to tap home on his second attempt.
The McDavid line strikes again. It's 2-0 Oilers.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/fJAnCfwuBq
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
It was unfortunate that Demko let this one in, as he was making some remarkable saves up until that point.
A little later on, the young standout
Braeden Cootes showed up with an impressive rush.
Cootes carries the puck through the neutral zone, takes the contact along the boards, and is able to find O’Connor as the trailing while losing his balance. The puck goes behind the net, where O’Connor and Alec Regula battle for the puck along the boards. Cootes comes from behind the net in support and grabs the loose puck. The 18-year-old makes two stick moves to protect the puck from opposing poke checks and finds Jonathan Lekkerimäki in the faceoff circle.
Braeden Cootes makes a couple nice plays on this shift!
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/yRXaFq9E74
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
The kid continues to make impressive plays that the coaching staff can’t help but notice at this point.
Aatu Räty gets tripped by Evan Bouchard to send the Canucks to the power play. However, that was short-lived, as Chytil takes a tripping penalty of his own, negating the power play eight seconds in.
But it just so happened to work out for Chytil, as after the penalty, Chytil takes the stretch pass from Joseph to spring him on a mini breakaway. His backhand, forehand attempt was not good enough to beat Skinner.
Filip Chytil gets in behind the Oiler defence but he can't beat Stuart Skinner
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/7nlhvqxluA
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
Second period
Two minutes into the second period, the Oilers get called for a too-many-men penalty. The Canucks split the man advantage evenly, sending Chytil, Lekkerimäki, Sherwood, Aatu Räty and Filip Hronek out for the first half and Cootes,
Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, Arshdeep Bains and Kirill Kudryavtsev on the second unit. The best chance came off a cross-ice pass from Cootes to Bains; however, Bains fanned on the one-touch pass to Karlsson at the net front, and the Oilers cleared the zone.
At the tail end of the power play, Sasson got a lucky bounce, as the puck went off the Oilers defenceman’s stick and straight to him at the net front. With that defender diving toward him, Sasson thinks fast and lifts a backhand shot over Skinner, but it hits the crossbar.
Max Sasson had an eventful shift. He takes a stick to the back of his head. He gets up and almost scores a goal.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/7Jgjhp8Sbu
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
After putting an emphasis on rush chances in training camp, the Canucks put that into effect in the game. O’Connor receives a pass in the neutral zone, passes the Oilers’ blueline and tries to split the defenders. He (perfectly) loses possession of the puck, which goes far enough for a pinching Derek Forbort to skate onto. He takes the puck to his backhand, but runs into the goalie as it goes in the net.
The Canucks are called for goalie interference.
Derek Forbort hit Stuart Skinners pad which propelled the puck into the back of the net.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/9vgUpr3rq7
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
But just when the Canucks thought they got on the board, the goal was called back for goaltender interference.
The Canucks out-chanced the Oilers for the better half of the period, before Kudryavtsev took a tripping (weak) penalty in the offensive zone. The Oilers needed all of three seconds to capitalize, as he rips a slapshot perfectly into the top left corner past Demko.
3-0 Oilers.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/2IxDDkWSH2
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
3-0 Oilers.
In the dying seconds of the period, Chytil enters the zone skating alongside the Oilers defenceman. He spins back to create space and find O’Connor as the trailer, who rips a snapshot off before time expires, but can’t stop Skinner’s shutout streak.
Filip Chytil makes a nice play to set Drew O'Connor up for a scoring chance at the end of the 2nd period.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/G7few16yXJ
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
Third period
Thatcher Demko led the Canucks out for the third period – something he didn’t do in his first preseason game. The Canucks wanted to give their starting goaltender some support, coming out with a mission to get back into this game.
Räty got the Canucks on the board four minutes into the game, with a lot to like on the play.
Lekkerimäki intercepts the outlet pass to keep the Canucks in the offensive zone. Hronek steps up on the Oilers winger and jumps in front to allow Räty to pick up the loose puck. He loads up a wicked wrister from the right faceoff dot and fires it up-high, short-side on Skinner to get the Canucks on the board.
Aatu Raty gets the Canucks on the board with a perfect shot
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/PzE4uvZGi3
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
3-1 Oilers.
Just moments after the goal, the Canucks were back on the attack. O’Connor took the puck hard to the net, with his attempt sliding wide. Cootes picks up the loose puck in the corner, sending it back to Forbort. He goes D-to-D, with Hronek finding Cootes’ back-pedalling in the left hand circle.
Without looking, Cootes fires the puck to the front of the net for O’Connor, but he couldn’t connect. Instead, it deflects off Mattias Ekholm’s skate and past Skinner to put the Canucks within one just 43 seconds after their first tally.
Braeden Cootes picks up his 2nd goal of the preseason!
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/PkGBd6XI2r
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
3-2 Oilers.
Under 30 seconds later, the Oilers had a chance of their own. Kasperi Kapanen fires a quick shot off Demko’s pads, which perfectly bounces to Josh Samanski, who gets enough on the puck to send it on net. Demko dives to his right, extends his paddle just enough to make the save right on the goal line.
THATCHER DEMKO MAKES AN INCREDIBLE SAVE!
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/JGFcZeoGr5
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
Save of the preseason candidate? Might even be the save of the year candidate before the 2025-26 regular season even starts.
The Canucks continued the pressure, but there’s not much any team can do when McDavid and Draisaitl get a two-on-one.
Leon Draisaitl puts the Oilers up 4-2.
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/FzjAv8SGfK
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
4-2 Oilers.
With nothing to lose, the Canucks got aggressive and pulled their goalie with over four minutes remaining.
The Canucks demonstrated solid, crisp passes around the edges of the neutral zone before anything finally opened up. Hronek finds Chytil on the right half wall. It looks like he’s about to rip a shot, but he fires a cross-ice pass to Lekkerimäki, who’s wide open in the left faceoff dot, and fires a one-timer past Skinner to bring the Canucks back to within one.
Filip Chytil rips a rink wide pass to Jonathan Lekkerimaki who one times it home! What a goal!
: Sportsnet |
#Canucks pic.twitter.com/FXEns6U3yE
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy)
September 29, 2025
4-3 Oilers.
Despite their best efforts, Vancouver couldn’t tie the game.
Takeaways
– Drew O’Connor was noticeable tonight – something you don’t say every night. He always seemed to be in the right area in the offensive zone and was good along the walls to help free the puck for his linemates, despite not finding his way onto the scoresheet.
– Jonathan Lekkerimäki looked good for the second consecutive game. His newfound ability to use his body to protect the puck has opened up so much more for him in the offensive zone.
– Braeden Cootes continues to do the little things right. For being much smaller than the competition he plays against, he’s great against the wall and in tight spaces to get the puck out of danger and to his teammates.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game, Canucks fans? Let us know in the comments section below!
Sponsored by bet365
