[Edmonton Thrash Sets the Stage for Canucks’ Home Opener Challenge]
The Canucks made the Oilers look silly on Tuesday in Edmonton. Can they manage a repeat in their own home opener at Rogers Arena?
Published Oct 01, 2026 • Last updated 48 minutes ago • 3 minute read
Photo by Leila Devlin
/Getty Images
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There’s a special feeling to the season getting under way, no matter whether you’re at home or on the road.
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The buzz: Remember Tuesday? That was fun. That was silly. That was everything Canucks fans want: they just want to see a team with heart. And Paul Cotter certainly has that in spades.
Playing at home, feeling the vibes of a hopeful home crowd? You know the Canucks will want to go an improbable two for two.
The history: Tuesday saw Cotter score twice and singles from Marco Rossi, Max Sasson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Elias Pettersson (the forward). The Canucks went 1-3-0 against the Oilers last season.
The hope: The Oilers looked brutal defensively and goalie Tristan Jarry was just as bad. Head coach Mike Babcock was greatly displeased post-game; can he find any solutions in the 48 hours between games? The Canucks hope not.
The fear: The Oilers remain a far better outfit than the Canucks. Connor McDavid’s line scored three times on Tuesday so it wasn’t like the loss was on the stars. And Evan Bouchard had the first season-opening hat trick by a defenceman since Mark Howe in 1980. They are going to show up guns blazing.
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The top guns: Likely the only time all year we’ll mention Cotter alongside McDavid, but here we are. Cotter had a stellar debut for the Canucks. But just as important was Filip Hronek’s pair of assists and the big minutes he munched. His second assist came on a deft deflection by Pettersson, putting the visitors into a 5-2 lead with just five minutes elapsed in the third period. McDavid finished with two assists despite his line’s overall dominance. Bouchard added three assists to his third goals, while former Canuck Vasily Podkolzin contributed a double in scoring.
The wounded: Canucks – Demko (hip surgery, IR); Filip Chytil (shoulder, IR). Oilers – Mattias Janmark (day-to-day), Alec Regula (day-to-day), Jason Dickinson (foot, week-to-week), Frederik Andersen (week-to-week), and Matthew Savoie (week-to-week).
The quote: “Is that Rocket Richard?” — Drew O’Connor, reportedly, post‑game on Cotter.
The projected lineup:
- DeBrusk-Pettersson-Lekkerimäki.
- Öhgren-Rossi-Boeser.
- O’Connor-Sasson-Karlsson.
- Cotter-Raty-Gallagher.
Buium-Hronek.
- Oleksiak-Willander.
- Pettersson-Schenn.
Lankinen
pjohnston@postmedia.com
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