Hyman, Oilers lead Canucks by two after first period
Published
Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm each scored a goal as the Edmonton Oilers head into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Hyman opened the scoring at 2:11 of the opening frame, firing home a cross-crease pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the power play to give Edmonton a one-goal lead.
The Oilers' power play continues to score at a torrid pace and is now 10-for-21 (48 per cent) thus far in the playoffs.
Ekholm added to the lead with five minutes remaining in the period, his first of the playoffs, to extend the Oilers’ lead to two.
Arturs Silovs, who continues to start in place of the injured Thatcher Demko, made eight saves in the period.
Stuart Skinner was perfect in the first, needing to make just five stops to keep the Canucks off the board after one.
Vancouver won the season series 4-0 over the Oilers. Edmonton looks to return to the Conference Final for the second time in three years, while Vancouver is looking for its first Conference final appearance since 2010-11