Oilers beat Canucks 3-2, tie series

Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland (8) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) during first period second-round NHL playoff action in Edmonton on Tuesday May 14, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

The Vancouver Canucks lost their first post-season away game on Tuesday when the Edmonton Oilers scored in the final minute of Game 4 Tuesday.

The second-round playoff series is now tied 2-2.

Canucks third-string goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 27 out of 30 shots. Edmonton’s backup Calvin Pickard blocked 19 out of 21 shots on goal.

Yet again, Edmonton opened the scoring with a power play goal, after J.T. Miller was called for interfering with Leon Draisaitl. At the 11:10 mark, it was Draisaitl who got a snap shot past Silovs.

Vancouver had two chances to capitalize on power plays in the first period, including a four-minute man advantage after Evander Kane got a double minor for high-sticking Tyler Myers. But the Canucks failed to find the back of the net during either Oilers penalty.

The next goal didn’t come until there were 40 seconds left in the second period, when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gave the Oilers a two-goal lead.

Vancouver made it on to the board 6:54 into the third period with a Conor Garland goal, his second of the post-season.

The Canucks pulled Silovs in favour of an extra attacker with about two-and-a-half minutes left to go in the game.

Brock Boeser tied it up during the six-on-five with 1:41 to go, scoring his seventh of the playoffs. But then Evan Bouchard brought the Oilers back 3-2 with 40 seconds left in the period.

Silovs was sent to the bench again in the dying seconds, but the buzzer went before Vancouver could register another goal.

The Canucks were without Carson Soucy after he was handed a one-game suspension for cross-checking Connor McDavid after the final horn in Game 3. In his place was Surrey native Noah Juulsen.

The Oilers had Pickard in net, making his debut as a starter in the playoffs. He replaced Stuart Skinner in the third period Sunday after he let four goals in on 15 shots.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday in Vancouver.