Oilers Beat Canucks 3-2 in Game 7, Will Meet Stars in West Final – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

When all was said and done, a memorable second round Western Canadian Stanley Cup Playoffs series went to the Edmonton Oilers. On Monday, Edmonton came to Vancouver to face the Canucks and their supporters in Game 7, and, saving the hosts' late pressure, played a great road playoff game, winning 3-2. As such, the Oilers claimed the series 4-3 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face the first-seeded Dallas Stars.

Oilers Silence Crowd Before Canucks Fight Late

They say one of the best and most important things an away team can do in any game is “bring the crowd out of it.” At that point, about 50 minutes in, the Oilers put in an almost identical performance. A stunning save by Canucks new hero Arturs Silovs may have led the home crowd to believe it was their team's night, but the next few hours proved otherwise. Although the clubs were tied 0-0 after the first half, the truth was that Edmonton looked like a team with poise, experience, and purpose.

That advantage finally paid dividends in the middle frame when Cody Ceci blasted a shot from the green line that Silovs struggled with in traffic. It was a steep climb for the Canucks considering it happened after they failed to capitalize on the power play for four minutes. Less than five minutes later it was Zach Hyman who deflected Evan Bouchard's long shot to really pile the pressure on the Canucks. In the end, the Oilers did well on the power play when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fired the puck off the backboard that Silovs didn't stand a chance on.

However, the Oilers played with fire in the final frame. It ended 3-0, the attacking intent went out the window. With less than nine minutes remaining, Conor Garland took the puck deep into the Edmonton zone to shoot past Stuart Skinner. With five left, Filip Hronek hit a shot between the cars, making it 3-2. Try as they did, the Canucks couldn't find the equalizer. In the finals, the Oilers are 3-2.

After an unbelievably tough series, Connor McDavid and company will head to Texas to take on the Stars in the Western Conference Finals starting Thursday.