Connor McDavid's hat trick lifts Oilers past Canucks

[January 15, 2021]  Connor McDavid scored three goals and added an assist in a dominating performance to lead the host Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and an assist, Leon Draisaitl collected four assists and Mikko Koskinen made 38 saves for the Oilers. Edmonton responded with an emphatic win one night after dropping a disappointing 5-3 home game to the Canucks in the teams' season-opening clash.

McDavid, who was held off the scoresheet in the opener on his 24th birthday, was a force all night and had a hand in his team's first four goals, starting with a Nugent-Hopkins power-play tally 7:59 into the clash, a rebound goal.

Then it became all about McDavid, who collected his seventh career regular-season hat trick and 13th four-point game.

McDavid's first goal came on a rebound with 0.7 seconds left in the opening period to make it a 2-0 count, finishing a play after a won faceoff in the offensive zone.

After Nate Schmidt put the Canucks on the board with a point-shot blast at the 3:24 mark of the second period, McDavid replied five minutes later with a trademark goal. McDavid gained the puck at his own blueline, blazed down the ice with his tremendous speed and deposited a wrist shot from the slot.

Tyler Motte again pulled the Canucks within a goal when he neatly deflected a Travis Hamonic point shot just past the midway point of the game, but McDavid restored his team's two-goal edge before the second intermission by converting his own rebound chance at the 15:08 mark of the frame.

Vancouver Canucks defensemen Quinn Hughes (43) tries to knock a puck away from Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Nugent-Hopkins added a second goal with 8:18 remaining. Kailer Yamamoto collected a pair of assists in the win.

Thatcher Demko stopped 41 shots for the Canucks, who next travel to Calgary for another two-game set of games that begins on Saturday before returning to Vancouver for their home opener.

The Oilers next play host to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of games Saturday and Monday.

--Field Level Media

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