VANCOUVER – With sniper Leon Draisaitl out of the lineup, the Edmonton Oilers knew they’d want different gamers to step up.
Kasperi Kapanen and Jack Roslovic emphatically answered the decision Saturday.
Every put up a pair of targets because the Oilers (24-17-8) blanked the struggling Canucks 6-0 in Vancouver.
“Once you’re lacking a key participant, any person actually vital to your workforce, it simply looks like everybody, simply their recreation steps up,” mentioned Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch.
“They’re galvanized they usually play collectively and that’s tonight. I take into consideration, all through our lineup, what number of guys actually performed certainly one of their finest video games tonight.”
Edmonton introduced earlier Saturday that Draisaitl had returned to Germany to take care of a household sickness. It’s anticipated the 30-year-old star will return subsequent week.
“Clearly, we’re lacking Leon and positively wish to have him right here, and we’re fascinated about him and his household (and) what’s happening proper now,” Knoblauch mentioned.
When Edmonton’s offence erupted with six targets within the second interval, it was Kapanen and Roslovic main the cost.
Roslovic broke a 0-0 impasse 3:11 into the body, chipping a shot towards the web from the underside of the faceoff circle. The puck squirted by means of the legs of Canucks netminder Nikita Tolopilo and in.
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Vancouver challenged the play for goalie interference, however the tally stood after video evaluate, with officers saying Edmonton’s Curtis Lazar was pushed into Tolopilo by Canucks ahead Max Sasson.
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The purpose marked Roslovic’s first level in eight video games.
“We’ve actually been making an attempt laborious,” the centre mentioned of his line. “I feel it’s not simply tonight. It’s been the final handful of video games that we’ve been actually working at making an attempt to get one to go in, and I feel we’ve performed rather well.
“We noticed just a few go in tonight, so hopefully that offers us all somewhat extra confidence.”
Halfway by means of the second, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sliced an extended go as much as Kapanen, who went one-on-one with Tolopilo and blasted a shot in off the put up to provide the Oilers a 3-0 lead.
It was Kapanen’s second purpose of the season. He added a 3rd simply over three minutes later.
After lacking 36 video games with a lower-body damage, the Finnish winger has seven factors in seven video games since rejoining the workforce.
“I like the place our workforce’s at proper now. Everyone’s stepping up,” he mentioned. “You already know, we miss Leo, and we want him the most effective, and to him and his household, clearly going by means of quite a bit proper now, so clearly taking part in for him as nicely. So large win in the present day.”
JARRY’S BIG NIGHT
Tristan Jarry stopped all 31 pictures he confronted to report his first shutout since being traded to Edmonton from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 12.
The efficiency was nothing new for Kapanen, who performed alongside the goalie with the Penguins.
“I’ve seen it earlier than in Pitt,” Kapanen mentioned. “Guys (who) have performed towards him a bunch, everyone knows he’s an incredible goalie. So he was unimaginable in the present day, and a giant purpose why we received.
“He’s very calm, which I feel makes the workforce calm.”
TOUGH DAYS
The Canucks (16-27-5) have now misplaced 10 video games in a row (0-8-2) and sit on the backside of the NHL standings.
It’s been a troublesome stretch, admitted Brock Boeser.
“It’s not enjoyable and it’s irritating and it’s laborious,” mentioned the winger, who performed his 600th regular-season recreation Saturday.
“You don’t need to be on this place, however I’m making an attempt to be the most effective chief I could be for these younger guys and try to to assist out. But it surely takes the entire workforce. We want the entire workforce each recreation that we go into.”
Canucks head coach Adam Foote has been in the identical place as a participant and is aware of all too nicely how his workforce is feeling.
The one manner ahead, he mentioned, is to maintain pushing.
“There’s going to be one other battle tomorrow,” he mentioned. “And (we’ve to maintain) practising and studying and rising from this. It stings, but it surely in all probability helps you develop the quickest.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Jan. 18, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
