Oilers 4 Canucks 1
VANCOUVER — Kurtis Foster scored a power-play goal and assisted on another Saturday as the last-place Edmonton Oilers surprised the Vancouver Canucks 4-1.
Linus Omark had a goal and an assist as Edmonton snapped an 11-game slide by defeating the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi also scored for the injury-riddled Oilers, who weren’t intimidated by the powerhouse Canucks. Andrew Cogliano added two assists as Edmonton beat Vancouver for the first time in five games this season.
It was just the second time in 12 games the Oilers scored three or more goals.
Alex Burrows replied for the Canucks, who outshot the Oilers 41-34.
Vancouver saw a five-game win streak end. The loss was just the second in 14 games for the Canucks, who wrapped up the league’s best regular-season record with a win over the Los Angeles Kings Wednesday night.
Omark scored the prettiest goal of the night in the second period to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead.
Teemu Hartikainen took a pass from Cogliano and drove for the net. With the Canuck defence collapsing on him, Hartikainen threw the puck out to Omark, who had a wide-open net to shoot at.
The Canucks, who lead the league with a 52-18-9 record for 113 points, have scored more goals than any other team and allowed the least.
Vancouver’s power-play, ranked No. 1 in the NHL, went 0-for-4 on the night.
The battered-and-bruised Oilers are last in the league with a 24-43-11 record for 59 points. Heading into Saturday, Edmonton had scored the third fewest goals and allowed the most.
Injuries to Taylor Hall, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Whitney have cost Edmonton their top line and best defenceman.
The Canucks controlled most of the first period but it was Foster who put the Oilers on the board after defenceman Aaron Rome was sent off for tripping.
Foster fired a hard, rising shot from the top of the faceoff circle that went over Canuck goaltender Cory Schneider’s shoulder quickly came out.
Officials signalled a goal, which was confirmed by video review.
It was the third consecutive game the Canucks have fallen behind 1-0.
Eberle made it 2-0 at 2:53 of the second when he beat Schneider on the short side on another Edmonton power play.
The Canucks took advantage of an Oiler turnover to score their first of the game late in the second. Henrik Sedin fed the puck to Burrows, who beat Edmonton goaltender Devan Dubnyk with a shot that squeezed between his arm and body.
The Oilers had a chance to increase their lead in the second period when Hartikainen was awarded a penalty shot after having his stick chopped out of his hands by Canuck defenceman Christian Ehrhoff on a breakaway.
But Schneider stood his ground and Hartikainen shot wide.
The Canucks had several good scoring chances in the first period, but Dubnyk kept the Oilers in the game. He gloved a Bieksa slapshot from the point, then blocked a Mason Raymond blast from the slot. Raymond also banked a shot off the crossbar.