A series that had thrilled and inspired dozens of heated talking points through four matches lived up to the billing in Game 5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Lead changes, strange penalty calls, more battles between Nikita Zadorov and Evander Kane, and a game-winning goal in the last minute when many were getting ready for overtime. By the end of the night, the Canucks skated away with a 3-2 victory and now hold a series lead by that same tally with Game 6 waiting in the wings. 

Unpredictable Affair Goes Down to the Wire

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find new superlatives to describe the contests between the Oilers and Canucks, but Game 5 was as memorable and intense as they get. Edmonton’s rekindled energy via a dramatic Game 4 win was on display in the early stages of Thursday’s bout as Evander Kane slapped home a one-timer early for a 1-0 lead. The Oilers came out with more pep in their skating strides, but the Canucks would not take long to retort. Carson Soucy levelled the terms and scored his first of these playoffs with a nifty wrist shot through traffic that fooled Calvin Pickard. The twists kept on coming when – still in the first period – Edmonton broke out on a two-on-one that resulted from none other than Soucy falling down mid-turnover while on the attack. That allowed Mattias Janmark to slot home the biscuit for a 2-1 Oilers lead.

From the second period onward, Vancouver began to take better control of the contest and it began by tying the score through Phillip Di Giuseppe’s spin-o-rama backhand goal. But the best was saved for last, at least in the Canucks’ case. With only 33 seconds left in the regulation and the score still 2-2, Vancouver raced out on the attack. Elias Lindholm sent the puck into the crease where it ricocheted off Elias Pettersson’s skate, bounced off the post and landed exactly where J.T. Miller was skating. Miller tapped the puck home into a gaping net, sending the Rogers Arena crowd into a frenzy.

Related: Playoff Insights: Analyst Breaks Down Canucks vs. Oilers Series

The added irony is that Edmonton had won Game 4 with a late goal of their own. This series has been full of surprises, making Game 6 must-see TV. Speaking of which, the Canucks and Oilers renew hostilities in Edmonton on Saturday night.