Vancouver defeated Edmonton 6-5 in overtime as Paul Cotter scored 1:59 into extra time to cap a two-goal night. Marco Rossi, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson also scored for the Canucks, and Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves; Vancouver opened the season 1-0-0. Evan Bouchard had three goals and two assists and Vasily Podkolzin scored twice for the Oilers, whose Tristan Jarry stopped 17 shots as Edmonton fell to 0-0-1. Pettersson’s goal early in the third pushed Vancouver to a 5-2 lead before Podkolzin and Bouchard rallied the Oilers to tie with 43 seconds left in regulation. Cotter became the first player in Canucks history to score a short-handed goal in his debut with the team. Bouchard became the first Oilers defenceman with a multi-goal season opener and only the third NHL defenceman ever to record a hat trick in a season opener. Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the Oilers’ home opener and Manny Malhotra became the fourth person to represent the Canucks as both player and head coach.
