Paul Cotter scored at 1:59 of overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The win capped a chaotic season opener in which Vancouver surrendered a three-goal lead in the third period.
Cotter forced a turnover along the left boards, passed to Max Sasson while on the ice, and retrieved a return feed to beat Edmonton goaltender Tristan Jarry on a backhand shot for his second goal of the night. The victory marked a successful debut for new Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra. Meanwhile, the Oilers dropped their season opener under new bench boss Mike Babcock.
A Wild Offensive Battle at Rogers Place
The game opened with high energy and quick scoring. Cotter started the scoring in the first period by capitalizing on a shorthanded opportunity. He ripped a puck top shelf on a 2-on-1 after a blocked power-play pass from Leon Draisaitl. This goal marked Vancouver’s first tally of the 2026-27 campaign. It also made Cotter the first player in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal in his team debut.
Edmonton responded in the opening frame when Evan Bouchard notched his first goal of the night. After Marco Rossi restored Vancouver’s lead in the second period, Bouchard answered back on the power play with assists from Connor McDavid and Alex Formenton. This left the teams tied 2-2 heading into the final frame.
Canucks Build a Three-Goal Lead Before Oilers Rally
Vancouver appeared to take control early in the third period with a rapid offensive surge. Jonathan Lekkerimäki broke the tie 1:10 into the frame. Goals from Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson on the power play followed quickly. This flurry built a 5-2 lead for the Canucks, who are looking to rebound from a tough 25-49-8 finish last season.
However, the Oilers refused to fold on home ice. Vasily Podkolzin sparked the comeback by scoring from the crease at 8:56. Just 24 seconds later, Bouchard completed a hat trick with a snap shot through traffic that deflected in off the crossbar, bringing Edmonton within one.
With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, Podkolzin struck again with just 43 seconds remaining in regulation. Draisaitl found the former Canuck in the left circle, and Podkolzin snapped a shot over goaltender Kevin Lankinen’s shoulder to force extra time.
Historic Performances Highlight the Opener
Despite the late regulation collapse, Cotter’s overtime heroics sealed the two points for Vancouver. Lankinen finished the night with 32 saves to earn the victory, while Jarry stopped 17 shots for Edmonton.
The matchup featured several notable milestones:
- Evan Bouchard: Became the first defenseman in Oilers history to record a multi-goal game in a season opener. He is also just the third defenseman in NHL history to notch a hat trick in a seasonal lid-lifter, and only the third blueliner in the last 30 years to post a four-point game to open a season.
- Paul Cotter: Became the first player in Canucks history to score a shorthanded goal in his team debut.
- Manny Malhotra: Earned his first career victory as an NHL head coach, joining an exclusive club of individuals to both play for and coach the Vancouver franchise.
The two teams will meet again on Thursday for a rematch at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
