EDMONTON (Interstat) — Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist, Connor McDavid added three assists and the Edmonton Oilers beat the slumping Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Saturday at Rexall Place. Mattias Ekholm and Jason Dickinson also scored for Edmonton, which snapped a two-game slide. Max Sasson and Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver. Devon Levi made 20 saves for the Oilers. Attendance was 17,555.

The Oilers improved to 12 wins and six losses, while Vancouver fell to 3 wins and 16 losses. Edmonton has been strong when scoring first this season, improving to 10-0-2 in such games, and it followed that pattern by taking the lead in the opening period. Vancouver remained mired in a difficult stretch and could not convert enough of its chances despite staying close for much of the game. Edmonton entered after a 5-4 home loss to Anaheim and a 4-3 shootout loss at New Jersey. Vancouver had lost to Winnipeg, Anaheim and Toronto, and its difficult start has included several one-goal defeats and an overtime win at Anaheim.

Edmonton opened the scoring at 9:14 of the first period when Ekholm scored on a slap shot from the point. McDavid and Draisaitl picked up assists, with McDavid moving the puck quickly and Draisaitl helping create the shooting lane. Ekholm’s goal gave the Oilers an early cushion and forced Vancouver to play from behind. The Canucks responded late in the period, tying the score at 19:51 when Sasson redirected a shot past Levi. Jamie Oleksiak and Guillaume Brisebois were credited with assists on the tying play. The goal came after Vancouver spent several shifts pressuring Edmonton in the offensive zone and winning battles along the boards.

The middle period produced no scoring, but it included plenty of momentum swings. McDavid generated a wrist shot that Leevi Merilainen saved early in the second. Vancouver’s Paul Cotter and Elias Pettersson worked to disrupt Edmonton’s rhythm in the faceoff circle, while the Oilers’ Trent Frederic and Mathieu Joseph delivered hits that kept the pace high. Draisaitl went to the penalty box for interference against Pettersson at 10:45, giving Vancouver a chance to take its first lead, but Edmonton’s penalty killers held firm. Later in the period, matching roughing penalties to Brendan Gallagher and Connor Murphy highlighted the chippy play, and a too-many-men penalty against Vancouver served by Marco Rossi gave Edmonton another power-play opportunity. Neither team converted, leaving the game tied going into the final period.

The decisive stretch came in the third. Dickinson put Edmonton ahead at 49 seconds of the period, scoring on a backhand after Ty Emberson and Joseph set up the play. The quick goal changed the tone and forced Vancouver to chase the game. Draisaitl made it 3-1 at the 12-minute mark, taking a feed from McDavid and beating Merilainen with a wrist shot. Evan Bouchard also assisted on the goal. Vancouver did not fold, and Boeser pulled the Canucks within a goal at 51:25 of the third when he tipped in a shot. Filip Hronek and Pettersson had the assists. The goal gave Vancouver brief hope and quieted the home crowd, but Edmonton answered before the Canucks could find an equalizer.

Draisaitl sealed the result at 57:15 of the third, scoring his second of the game on a wrist shot from McDavid and Zach Hyman. The goal restored Edmonton’s two-goal cushion and ended Vancouver’s comeback bid. Draisaitl finished with two goals, one assist, seven shots on goal and two penalty minutes. McDavid had three assists, three shots and one hit, repeatedly finding open teammates in the offensive zone. Levi stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced to earn the win. Dickinson added a goal and three shots, Ekholm scored on his only shot and added a hit, and Emberson recorded an assist and three shots. Joseph contributed an assist and a shot.

Sasson was one of Vancouver’s most active forwards, scoring once on two shots and adding a hit. Boeser scored on a tip-in and finished with two shots and three hits. Drew O’Connor recorded four shots on goal, while Pettersson and Hronek helped create Vancouver’s second goal. Merilainen made several saves to keep the Canucks close, including stops on McDavid and Draisaitl earlier in the game, but Edmonton’s pressure eventually produced the decisive third-period goals.

The loss continued a rough season for Vancouver, which has won three games and lost 16. The Canucks have struggled to string together offense and have now dropped another game in a season full of difficult results. Edmonton, meanwhile, moved to 12 wins and six losses and showed why it has been especially effective when playing with a lead. The Oilers controlled key stretches of the third period, won important faceoffs and capitalized on their best chances.

Edmonton’s victory came in front of an announced crowd of 17,555 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The Oilers received production from their top stars and secondary scorers. Draisaitl was the top star for Edmonton after his two-goal, one-assist performance. Draisaitl had points in each of his previous four games, including a goal and an assist against Anaheim, a goal at New Jersey and two assists in each of two road wins over the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. McDavid’s three assists were also pivotal, as he helped set up Ekholm’s opener and both of Draisaitl’s goals. Vancouver got goals from Sasson and Boeser but could not generate enough sustained pressure late. Vancouver is set to host Philadelphia on Monday, and Edmonton is scheduled to host the New York Rangers on Monday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Edmonton 5, Vancouver 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Edmonton with a 76.6 percent probability to win. Edmonton had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over/under line of 7.