Connor McDavid has hat trick, Oilers beat Canucks 5-2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had a hat trick and an assist, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice and added an assist and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Leon Draisaitl, the NHL’s top scorer last season, had four assists to help the Oilers rebound from a 5-3 loss to the Canucks a night earlier in the opener for both teams.

“The power play was good. The (penalty kill) was good,” McDavid said. “I think the hockey games have gone the way I kind of expected, a little bit more high scoring than they might be at this time of year if it was a normal year, and that’s across the league.”

Mikko Koskinen made 38 saves for the Oilers.

Nate Schmidt and Tyler Motte scored for Vancouver, and Thatcher Demko stopped 41 shots.

“I thought they came out a lot harder than we did to start the game, put us back on our toes early,” Schmidt said. “We’ve got to get used to this. This is going to happen. You play the same team on back-to-back nights in their own building, it’s going to happen. ”

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1of4Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during second-period NHL hockey action in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)JASON FRANSON/APShow MoreShow Less 2of4Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)JASON FRANSON/APShow MoreShow Less 3of4Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) celebrate a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during second-period NHL hockey action in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)JASON FRANSON/APShow MoreShow Less 4of4Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) makes a move to get past Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler (23) during second-period NHL hockey action in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)JASON FRANSON/APShow MoreShow Less

The Oilers scored twice with the man advantage after going 0 for 4 on Wednesday. Edmonton had the top power play in the NHL last season at 29.5%.

“I thought it was a very solid game,” Draisaitl said. “Yesterday was not the way that we want to show up and we want to play. I thought it was a great response tonight.”

UP NEXT

Canucks: At Calgary on Saturday and Monday nights.

Oilers: Host Montreal on Saturday and Monday nights.