Oilers waste Bouchard hat trick as Babcock’s debut ends in 6-5 OT loss

The Mike Babcock era in Edmonton opened with plenty of drama but not the kind of structure the Oilers had promised. On home ice Tuesday night, Edmonton rallied from a three-goal deficit late in the third period only to fall 6-5 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks, salvaging a single point from a wild season opener.

Bouchard’s five-point eruption overshadowed in loss

Evan Bouchard delivered a historic performance in defeat. The defenceman scored three times and added two assists, becoming the first NHL blueliner to notch a season-opening hat trick since Mark Howe did it for the Hartford Whalers in 1980.

Remarkably, none of Bouchard’s goals came off his trademark booming slapshot. Instead, he beat Vancouver netminder Kevin Lankinen three times with wrist shots, helped by heavy traffic at the top of the crease from teammates such as Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin. Podkolzin, now on the Oilers’ side against the team that drafted him 10th overall, scored twice himself, including a blast that forced overtime with under a minute left in regulation.

On most nights, a defenceman’s hat trick and five-point showing would headline an Oilers win. Instead, it highlighted how much offence they needed just to climb out of the hole they dug at the other end of the rink.

Jarry falters as old defensive issues resurface

Goaltending was at the centre of Edmonton’s problems. Tristan Jarry, brought back to stabilize the crease, surrendered six goals and never looked fully settled. Early in the third period, with the game tied 2-2, he was beaten on a soft shot just 70 seconds after the puck dropped. Moments later, the Canucks had stretched the lead to 5-2, putting the Oilers in serious trouble.

Jarry did face several high-danger looks, but his first truly game-changing save didn’t arrive until overtime, by which point Vancouver had already done enough damage. Afterward, he acknowledged that he needed to have one or two of the goals back and conceded that when a goalie has a night like that, it can drag the entire performance down.

For Babcock, the breakdowns were collective, not just on the last line of defence. Edmonton repeatedly turned pucks over, extended shifts too long and lost its defensive shape, looking much like the freewheeling, mistake-prone versions of the team that fans have seen in recent seasons.

Injuries, new lines and a call for a higher standard

The coach’s plans were disrupted even before puck drop. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was injured at Monday’s practice and missed the opener, forcing Babcock to reshuffle his forward units. He broke up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, elevating Alex Formenton to the left side of McDavid with Hyman on the right, while Podkolzin, Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen formed the second line.

Despite the late three-goal surge and Bouchard’s milestone night, Babcock focused on the lack of team-wide discipline in his post-game remarks. He pointed to an Oilers group that talks about responsible play but too easily drifts into a track meet when adversity hits, noting that playing that way is "unacceptable for us."

The Oilers will see the Canucks again quickly, with a rematch set for Thursday in Vancouver. Beyond seeking their first win, Edmonton’s priority will be proving that this opener was an outlier rather than an early sign that their familiar defensive flaws remain unsolved under their new bench boss.