By Canadian Press

Leon Draisaitl scores twice, leads Oilers over Canucks 3-2

Dec 1, 2019 | 9:57 PM

VANCOUVER — Leon Draisaitl scored two power-play goals as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 Sunday night to snap a two-game losing skid.

Josh Archibald also scored for the Oilers (17-9-3). Connor McDavid and Alex Chiasson both had two assists. Mikko Koskinen stopped 30 shots.

Josh Leivo and Brock Boeser scored the Canucks (13-11-4), who are 3-3-0 in their last six games.

Loui Eriksson was in the penalty box for both of Draisaitl’s goals.

The Canucks beat the Oilers 5-2 in Edmonton Saturday night, ending a season-long six-game road trip.

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Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, making his first back-to-back start of the season, stopped 26 shots for Vancouver.

Draisaitl scored just 46 seconds into the third, giving Edmonton a 3-2 lead. He took a pass from James Neal and was untouched scoring on a backdoor play.

The Canucks outshot the Oilers 23-14 after 40 minutes but the teams were tied 2-2.

Vancouver went ahead 2-1 at 12:06 of the second period on Leivo’s fourth goal of the season. Defenceman Jordie Benn fired a puck into traffic that was blocked. Leivo found the rebound and slid it past Koskinen for his second goal in two nights after going 15 games without scoring.

Draisaitl made it 2-2 on a power play at 15:34, notching his 17th of the season on a pass from McDavid. It was his first goal in seven games and first point in three matches.

The teams exchanged first-period goals.

The Oilers opened the scoring when McDavid dug a puck out of the corner and sent a pass in front of the net that was deflected to the blue line. Defenceman Darnell Nurse sent a slap pass to the side of the net which Archibald deflected past Markstrom at 9:09 for his first point in 20 games this season.

J.T. Miller was workhorse on Vancouver’s tying goal at 15:34. Miller picked up the puck and circled in front of the Oilers’ net, fighting off several defenders, before passing to Quinn Hughes. He dished to Boeser who scored his 11th of the season, then took a stick in the face.

Patrick Russell thought he had put Edmonton ahead 2-1 just 30 seconds later but officials waved off the goal, ruling goaltender interference after a coach’s challenge.

NOTES: The teams played 8:47 from the opening puck drop to the game’s first whistle. … Defenceman Alex Edler, who leads Vancouver by averaging 23 minutes, 38 seconds of ice time, missed the game with an upper-body injury. … Defenceman Oscar Fantenberg dressed for his first game as a Canuck. … The Oilers called up backup goaltender Stuart Skinner from Bakersfield of the AHL after Mike Smith suffered an injury Saturday. … Oilers forward Zack Kassian missed the game with a back injury. .. Forward Antoine Roussel, who had knee surgery in March to repair a torn ACL, has rejoined the Canucks after a conditioning stint with in the AHL.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2019.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press