Ceci, Hyman give Oilers two-goal lead over Canucks after two periods

Cody Ceci and Zach Hyman scored second-period goals for the Oilers as Edmonton heads into the third period with a 4-2 lead over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Dakota Joshua and Elias Lindholm scored in the frame for the Canucks.

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl did not play the final eight minutes of the period and headed back to the locker room with an undisclosed issue. 

Joshua cut the Oilers lead in half 53 seconds into the second period, putting the puck over Stuart Skinner’s outstretched leg after it deflected off the end boards and in front of the net. It was his third of the playoffs.

The Canucks had a chance to even the score minutes later on the power play but were unable to put it past Skinner. They also failed to score on another power play late in the period. Vancouver continues to struggle with the man advantage after converting on just 15.4 per cent of their chances in the first round against the Nashville Predators.

Vancouver dominated most of the second period before Cody Ceci restored the Oilers’ two-goal lead at 12:26 of the frame when his slap shot from the point deflected off of Canucks' defenceman Ian Cole and past Arturs Silovs.

Hyman scored his second goal of the period 45 seconds later when he snuck a weak west shot past Silovs to give Edmonton a 4-1 advantage late in the frame. The 54-goal-scorer now has nine goals through parts of six playoffs games this season.

Lindholm cut the Oilers lead back to two at 17:01 of the period when his centering pass went off the stick of Skinner and ricocheted into the net for his third of the postseason.

Skinner was much busier in the second period, facing 11 shots in the frame after needing to stop just five in the first.