Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers: Start time, live stream, TV info
At 10:00 p.m. EST, the Vancouver Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers in the first game of the 2019-20 season for both teams. Here’s how you can watch the game via live stream.
The long summer all hockey fans dread is finally over. Hockey has arrived. Wednesday, Oct. 2, marks Opening Night for the NHL. The schedule features four games. At 10:00 p.m. EST, the Vancouver Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers in the third of the four games, and first of the two West Coast games.
Both teams enter the 2019-20 season looking to improve from last season. Neither the Oilers nor the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Both teams made some significant changes this offseason, so they’re hoping to get back into the postseason.
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The Oilers moved on from head coach Ken Hitchcock, as former adversary and Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett will be behind the bench for them this season. Tippett stepped down from a role within Seattle’s front office to come to Edmonton. He hasn’t coached since being let go by the Coyotes in 2017.
Additionally, the Oilers traded Milan Lucic to the Calgary Flames for James Neal. Both players struggled last season, but the team seems optimistic Neal can bounce back strong. Before last season, he had scored at least 20 goals in each of his full NHL seasons.
The Oilers are led by annual Hart Trophy contender Connor McDavid. He’s coming off his finest season yet, as he nearly won the Art Ross and set a career-high in points. They also have Leon Draisaitl, who scored a career-high 50 goals last season. Only Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored more.
On the other side of the ice, the Vancouver Canucks made their changes through free agency and trades. At the 2019 NHL Draft, the Canucks traded for Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Miller. Miller is expected to slot into Vancouver’s top-six forward group and give them a bit of skilled grit.
They also signed defensemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn to help stabilize their blue line. Quinn Hughes stands out on the Canucks defense, as he was quite impressive during his brief cup of coffee in the NHL last season.
Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser lead Vancouver’s forward group. The Canucks do not have a captain, but they are expected to name one shortly. Horvat appears to be the favorite to get the coveted “C”. The Canucks have not had a captain since Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin retired in 2018.
Viewing Information
Date: Oct. 2, 2019
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Where: Rogers Place
TV Broadcast: Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360
Live Streaming: Reddit NHL streams, NHL.tv (subscription required)
Next. Opening Night NHL Power Rankings. dark
The Canucks and Oilers have a bit of a rivalry as divisional opponents. Tonight’s a great night for both teams to get a huge win to start their season. Expect a chippy, yet entertaining game. My prediction is the Oilers will win 4-3.