Paul Cotter’s two-goal outburst lifts rebuilding Canucks over Oilers in OT

The Vancouver Canucks opened their season by showing that a rebuild does not have to mean a step back in the standings. Powered by an unlikely hero in Paul Cotter, Vancouver spoiled the Edmonton Oilers’ home opener with a 6-5 overtime win on Tuesday night.

Cotter, signed in the off-season as a free agent from the New Jersey Devils to bolster the fourth line with speed and physical play, scored the first and last goals of the game. He opened the scoring shorthanded, then ended it in three-on-three overtime by beating Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry on a deke. The winger finished with two goals, a couple of hits and nearly two minutes of penalty-kill time, far more than he saw in that role last year.

Canucks blow 5-2 lead, then answer in overtime

Vancouver appeared to be in full control with a 5-2 advantage midway through the third period, only to see the Oilers charge back in the final 11 minutes. Former Canuck Vasily Podkolzin, one of Edmonton’s most dangerous shooters on the night, scored twice, including the 5-5 equalizer on a six-on-four situation with 41.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Canucks regrouped in overtime. Max Sasson, who began camp on the roster bubble, created the winner when he carried the puck into the zone and set up Cotter in the slot. Earlier, Sasson had scored on a give-and-go with Drew O’Connor, capping a standout performance for a 26-year-old centre who was undrafted and spent last season starting in the minors.

Sasson’s line with O’Connor and Linus Karlsson was also given the demanding assignment of matching up against Connor McDavid. They helped hold the Oilers captain to two assists and no shots on goal, a notable result in Manny Malhotra’s first regular-season game as an NHL head coach. Malhotra, who previously coached Sasson in the AHL, rewarded him with a prominent role down the middle.

Bouchard erupts in loss as Lankinen outduels Jarry

On the Edmonton side, defenceman Evan Bouchard delivered a massive offensive night, recording a hat trick and five points to earn first-star honours despite the loss. Podkolzin’s two goals and McDavid’s two assists rounded out the Oilers’ main contributions in a game where their star power nearly erased a three-goal deficit.

For Vancouver, Marco Rossi scored off a breakaway feed from Liam Ohgren, rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki added his first of the season and Elias Pettersson converted on the power play. The Canucks were outshot 35-23, but goaltender Kevin Lankinen was steadier than Jarry, making key stops early and late to keep the visitors in front long enough to escape in overtime.

Defenceman Zeev Buium, just 20 years old, wore an ‘A’ as one of six alternate captains named by the Canucks for this season, underlining the organization’s shift toward a younger leadership group. Veteran blueliner Jamie Oleksiak led the team in ice time and noted post-game that the group stayed composed through Edmonton’s push, viewing the chaotic opener as a solid foundation to build on.

For a club labelled as rebuilding, surviving a furious comeback and defeating a Stanley Cup contender on the road offers an early hint that Vancouver’s next phase may arrive sooner than expected.