Brock Boeser scores 4 goals, Canucks rout Oilers 8-1 to start a home-and-home opening set
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Brock Boeser scored a career-high four goals and the Vancouver Canucks routed the Edmonton Oilers 8-1 on Wednesday night to start a home-and-home opening set.
"I kind of got to that mindset in the summer where I´ve got to be a better hockey player and really work hard," Boeser said. "I came back and it continues each and every day, I´ve got to have that same mindset. Tomorrow, the next practice, the morning skate, I´ve got to keep it going."
The teams will meet again Saturday night in Edmonton.
Conor Garland, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Dakota Joshua also scored for the Canucks, with Miller adding four assists and Pettersson three. Quinn Hughes also had three assists.
Thatcher Demko started in goal for Vancouver and stopped 21 of 22 shots in 48 minutes. Casey DeSmith made five saves the rest of the way.
Leon Draisaitl scored for Edmonton, with Connor McDavid assisting. Draisaitl extended his points streak against the Canucks to 19 games.
Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser celebrates a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
"There´s lots of lessons there for us," McDavid said. "It sucks that this happens in the first game of the year. These nights happen. It sucks that´s the first one, obviously."
Oilers starter Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner each allowed four goals.
"We laid an egg tonight," Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. "We all own it. We´re all in this one together and the bottom line is we were at a preseason level of work ethic and a preseason level of execution, all of us, and we got a lesson in regular-season work ethic and regular-season battle level."
After Garland opened the scoring, Boeser scored three straight goals for a natural hat trick and 4-0 lead. He made it 6-1 early in the third period. The Minnesotan had 18 goals in 74 games last season.
"I know he did some different training this year, he´s had a good camp, and he knows that he´s got to keep going," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. "He had four goals, a couple screens, he was a big part of the game tonight."
Demko was pulled because of dehydration, with the netminder throwing up in his mask.
"He didn´t really want to come out but then when he puked in his mask I said, `You´ve got to come out,'" Tocchet said.
UP NEXT
Oilers: Host Vancouver on Saturday night.
Canucks: At Edmonton on Saturday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Vancouver Canucks' J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser and Phillip Di Giuseppe, from left, celebrate a goal by Boeser against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, back, scores against Edmonton Oilers goalie Jack Campbell during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson (40), Andrei Kuzmenko (96), Brock Boeser (6), J.T. Miller (9) and Quinn Hughes (43) celebrate Pettersson's goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Jack Campbell (36) and Cody Ceci (5) look back at the puck in the net after Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser scored during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) comes into the game as starting goalie Jack Campbell (36) is pulled during the second period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Jack Campbell watches the replay after allowing a aoal to the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais (73) and Vancouver Canucks' Dakota Joshua fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Derek Ryan (10) vies for the puck against Vancouver Canucks' Akito Hirose (41) and Pius Suter (24) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Dakota Joshua, bottom, and Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais, right, and Vancouver Canucks' Dakota Joshua fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Jack Campbell (36) skates to the corner as Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser (6) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
