Oilers takeaways: AHL-laden lineup impresses against Canucks

It’s either going to be a great year in Bakersfield or a very long season in Vancouver, after an AHL-laden Edmonton Oilers roster walked into Rogers Arena and beat the Canucks 2-1 Thursday night.

“They worked their butts off,” said Oilers veteran goalie Tristan Jarry, one of only four Oilers players expected to open the season in Edmonton who made the trip to Vancouver. “In the offensive zone, the defensive zone … They were doing everything right. Just everything we've been going through in practice, they really implemented tonight.”

The Canucks iced a lineup with roughly 16 expected Opening Night players, compared to an Oilers roster that featured three or four: Jarry, Ike Howard, No. 6 defenceman Ty Emberson, and Josh Samanski, who will likely be Edmonton’s 12th or 13th forward.

As for NHL games played, the Canucks lineup had 6,789 games to 1,277 for the Oilers.

But it was Howard, playing his third pre-season game, who was the most dangerous player on the ice, with a goal, an assist and seven shots on goal. Quinn Hutson had the other Oilers goal and five shots on net, while Jarry allowed just one power-play marker, stopping 25 shots to all but secure the Opening Night start against these same Canucks Tuesday night in Edmonton.

“I was impressed with our group here tonight,” Babcock said. “We found a way to get it done, and they should feel good about themselves.”

Line ‘em up

Defenceman Tomas Cibulka was plus-2 with an assist in 17:00 of ice time. And Viljami Marjala, the OT hero from Tuesday night in Winnipeg, had another strong game.

Expect a bunch of assignments on Friday as the Oilers get down to their NHL squad for practice. Their final pre-season game, at home against Calgary on Saturday, will be a dress rehearsal for Opening Night.

Here was how the Oilers lines looked Thursday night in Vancouver:

Howard-Michaels-Hutson
Jones-Samanski-Raty
Tralmaks-Marjala-Griffith
Clattenburg-Berzkalns-Lewandowski

Stastney-Emberson
Stillman-Cibulka
Leppanen-Carfagna

Jarry
Ungar

Big mess

The day began with a shot across the Oilers’ bow from revered alumnus Mark Messier, who questioned the whole process of hiring head coach Mike Babcock.

The fact that Babcock interviewed with players, a compromised leadership group, and that too many decisions were being made by the Oilers players. It was all too much for the Oilers legend-turned-ESPN panellist.