The competition between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks is so intense that the most aggressive actions took place after the third game and the latter’s 4-3 victory away from home.
The third game was very physical, but the worst incident occurred after the game ended, behind the Canucks net.
Oilers star Connor McDavid was pushed by Carson Soucy but he didn’t fall. McDavid then hit Soucy in the legs, and Soucy responded by hitting McDavid's legs.
What ensued could get Soucy in trouble depending on the NHL’s review. Soucy and teammate Nikita Zadorov joined forces to attack McDavid.
Zadorov approached McDavid from behind and hit him in the waist with a stick, while Soucy instantly added a cross-check to McDavid’s throat.
NHL Could Punish Canucks’ Carson Soucy
After the play, with the game already decided and the Canucks leading 2-1 in the second-round series, the NHL penalized Soucy for two minutes.
This had no impact on the result, as the Oilers lost 3-2 to the Canucks.
After the game, Canucks Army beat writer Irfaan Gaffar reported that the NHL might suspend Soucy for the cross-check to McDavid’s throat.
“It seems like the league will be reviewing the cross-check from Carson Soucy on Connor McDavid at the end of game three,” Gaffar wrote on X after Game 3.
In a story published by The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek after the game on May 12, the analyst states “What Soucy did was reckless and dangerous,” adding “A suspension almost certainly has to be coming.”
Canucks and Oilers Engage in Literal Fight During Game 3
Canucks forward Brock Boeser scored two goals and an assist while Elias Lindholm scored the other two goals. Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 42 shots for the Canucks.
Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard scored the three goals for Edmonton, while Stuart Skinner stopped 11 of 15 shots before he was pulled before the third period. Calvin Pickard had three saves in his NHL playoff debut in relief of Skinner.
With that aside, Soucy and Zadorov's action on McDavid was the culmination of a tense game between the Oilers and the Canucks on Sunday.
Zadorov, who was acquired by the Canucks in November 2023 in a trade with the with the Calgary Flames, initiated the aggression with a huge hit on Oilers’ Evander Kane. Zadorov pushed him into the bench and further inside of it.
The officials penalized Zadorov for two minutes for roughing.
Off-Ice Conflicts Between Canucks & Oilers Continue
After the game and Soucy’s hit on McDavid, there were more exchanges off the ice, including between Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs and Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.
Following a remarkable 42-save performance, Silovs was asked by a reporter during his postgame press conference about “a key save late in the period.”
Silovs’ response was, 'Which one?' the goalie joked in reply, via Sportsnet’s game broadcast. 'I actually don’t remember.'
In the other team's locker room, a reporter asked Oilers’ Draisaitl about Silovs’ performance and whether it affected Edmonton's shooting in the Game 3 loss where they hit the posts consistently.
“Hitting the post isn't good goaltending,” Draisaitl told reporters in his postgame interview on May 12. “We can definitely do a better job of focusing and taking advantage of our opportunities.”
When asked if the team needs to change anything to improve their offensive production and overcome the rookie goalie, Draisaitl doesn’t believe the Oilers need to reassess anything.
“I don’t think so,” Draisaitl said, via Sportsnet. “I think we have enough players here who can score against him. We've demonstrated that so far.”
