McDavid, Draisaitl Frederic burst out the gate

Skinner vs Demko in goal

Preseason Sizzler: Oilers Slip Past Canucks 4-3 in Demko-Foote Showcase

Posted by McColl Magazine & Grok

EDMONTON – Forget “just preseason.” The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks turned Rogers Place into a pressure cooker tonight, with the Oilers scraping out a 4-3 win in a clash that screamed playoff hockey. Adam Foote, Vancouver’s rookie bench boss, unleashed a squad that looked forged in a steel mill, and Thatcher Demko? The guy was a human highlight reel.

Oilers Nation, you got the W, but the Canucks served notice.

Leon Draisaitl was a one-man wrecking crew, potting two—first a snipe off a Connor McDavid saucer in the opening frame, then a third-period wraparound that left Demko sprawled. McDavid, the maestro, dished two assists, carving up Vancouver’s D like it was a turkey dinner. Stuart Skinner stood tall, denying 28 of 31 shots and clutching a shutout deep into the third. That glove save on Elias Pettersson’s late wrister? Straight-up robbery.

But let’s talk Canucks. Demko was a wall, flashing leather with jaw-dropping stops—a pad-stack and a sprawling glove on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ one-timer kept Vancouver in it. The guy faced 35 shots and made 31 saves, several of the “how’d he do that?” variety. Behind him, Foote’s first-year vision shone bright. His Canucks were a buzzsaw: ferocious forecheck, suffocating neutral-zone traps, and a third-period rally that saw Brock Boeser snipe one and the bottom-six bang in two more to make it a one-goal game. Foote’s spent the summer drilling structure and snarl into this team, and it shows—Vancouver’s got the look of a playoff predator.

Standouts:

Draisaitl (2G, 0A): The German sniper’s locked in. Two goals, pure filth. Hart chatter starts now.

McDavid (0G, 2A): Surgical. Set up both of 29’s tallies with plays that defy physics.

Skinner (28/31 saves): Nearly stole a shutout.

That Pettersson save? Send it to the Hall.

Demko (31/35 saves): Stood on his head.

Foote’s Fire: Vancouver’s new coach has this team playing like they’ve got a chip on both shoulders.

Edmonton’s star power and depth—hyped in our Sept 18 roster breakdown—sealed the deal, but Vancouver’s no slouch. Foote’s got the Canucks dialed in, and Demko’s ready to steal games.

Oilers Nation, you hyped for the 2025-26 grind?

Canucks fans, is Foote your new hero? Drop your takes below. More preseason chaos awaits—let’s roll.

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