Team

Betting

OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA

Instant Reaction: AHL Oilers handle NHL Canucks in 2-1 pre-season win

Edmonton Oilers Vancouver Canucks Tristan Jarry

Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Cynthia Ryley Delaney

Sep 25, 2026, 00:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 25, 2026, 00:19 EDT

Comments

Another day, another 2-1 victory for the Edmonton Oilers.

Taking on the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening for the third of four pre-season games, the Oilers managed to defeat their Pacific Division rivals 2-1 to move to 3-0-0 this pre-season. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one!

Four minutes into the opening frame, the Canucks won a defensive zone draw, but couldn’t get the puck out of the zone as Tomáš Cibulka managed to keep the puck in at the blue line. The puck fell to Isaac Howard in the face off dot, with the Oiler prospect ripping it past the Canucks’ netminder to make it 1-0.

Daily Faceoff Edmonton

@dfoedmonton

·Follow

BE LIKE IKE.

Watch on X

1:42 AM · Sep 25, 2026

Read 1 reply

About five minutes into the second period, Howard knocked the puck down near the Canucks’ blue line, then won a puck battle. He got the puck to Viljami Marjala for an abbreviated rush chance. The pass-first Finn attempted to pass it (shocker), and while it bounced off the skate of the Canuck defender, Quinn Huston managed to get on the puck first and tap it in.

Daily Faceoff Edmonton

@dfoedmonton

·Follow

QUINN HUTSON 🥶

Watch on X

2:29 AM · Sep 25, 2026

Read 1 reply

Less than two minutes later, the Canucks got on the board on the power play. A puck found its way down low in front of the net, and Linus Karlsson was able to beat Tristan Jarry for the lone goal that found the Oilers’ back of the net.

Tune into After Dark now!

Takeaways…

It’s been a strong postseason for the Oilers, who now move to 3-0-0 with the win, 4-0-0 if you include the 6-1 victory over the Calgary Flames’ prospect in the NextGen game earlier this month. Pre-season doesn’t matter in the grand scope of things, but it appears that the Oilers are taking this one far more seriously than previous pre-seasons.

Isaac Howard’s first two games were rather quiet, but he broke out in a big way tonight. He showcased his excellent shot with his first-period goal, and won a puck battle along the boards for the Oilers’ second goal.

Other prospects who had a strong game were Quinn Hutson, who scored his first of the pre-season, and Viljami Marjala, who picked up an assist. Marjala has been impressive all training camp long, producing strong game after strong game since the NextGen game.

The Canucks were the better team by far, which isn’t too surprising given they had an NHL roster and the Oilers had an American League roster. A big reason why they won this game was because of Tristan Jarry, who stopped 25 of 26 shots for a .962 save percentage. Another solid outing for a goaltender looking to bounce back.

Tomáš Cibulka was the Oilers’ best defenceman, finishing as a +2 in his 17 minutes of action. Damien Carfagna had another strong game, playing 25:25 minutes and finishing as a +1, albeit with a minor penalty. Ty Emberson and Spencer Stastney served as their top pairing, playing over 25:30 each.

The Oilers’ final tuneup game is on Saturday at 7 p.m. MT, taking on the Calgary Flames for the final pre-season game they’ll play at the Scotiabank Saddledome. After that, the real thing begins, taking on the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday at 8 p.m. MT.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

🪦 RIPNATION: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

After nearly two decades, it’s time to say goodbye to Oilersnation — the brand name, that is. Everyone is fine. In fact, we’re throwing a funeral to pay our respects to the logo that was…. Join us Saturday, September 26th at The Pint Downtown for RIPNATION: In Loving Memory of a Logo, a one-night-only celebration of the end of an era and the beginning of something new. Expect the unexpected….

Tickets exclusively available at nationexperiences.ca