Hyman puts up 4 points to help Oilers add to Canucks' struggles, grab 6th straight win

Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau stood on the bench Saturday night, clapping for the crowd and trying to soak in a bittersweet moment.

Expectations are that Boudreau will be fired in the coming days and the veteran NHL bench boss treated Saturday's game as if it were his last.

"You never know if it's the end," he told reporters after the game, tears welling in his eyes. "So when you've been in it for almost 50 years you know, the majority of your life and now if it's the end, I had to stay out there and look at the crowd and just try to say, `OK, try remember this moment type of thing."'

WATCH l Pressured Canuckshead coach Boudreaureacts after home loss:

Emotional end of game for Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau hours before being fired

2 years ago

Duration 0:53

Bruce Boudreau appeared to stay for a short time on the Canucks bench Saturday night after a 4-2 loss by his team to Edmonton. It would be his last game after being fired by the team hours later.

Players weren't sure whether to stay on the ice and tap their sticks for their coach or to head down the tunnel, veteran defenceman Luke Schenn said of the "wild" scene.

"In the dressing room, guys were sitting around here and kind of almost speechless," he said. "A lot of times after a loss, guys are mad or ticked off or whatever about the way they played. But this wasn't about the game. It was more the feeling for Bruce."

'Obviously it wasn't good enough there'

After falling behind 3-0 midway through the second period Saturday, the Canucks (18-25-3) clawed back two goals and looked to even the score late in the third.

Instead, the surging Oilers (27-18-3) took a sixth straight win.

"We wanted to play right to the very end for [Boudreau]," said Canucks captain Bo Horvat. "He coached every game like it was his last and, for us, we would have loved to pull one out there for him. But obviously it wasn't good enough there."

Edmonton's stars shone in the performance, with Zach Hyman contributing a goal and three assists while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored into an empty net and contributed a pair of helpers. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist and Leon Draisaitl rounded out the scoring.

WATCH l Oilers' Hyman scores, adds 3 assists vs. Canucks:

Hyman 4-point night leads Oilers to win over Canucks

2 years ago

Duration 0:41

Zach Hyman scored and added three helpers as Edmonton extended its winning streak to six games with a 4-2 over Vancouver.

Depth has been key to the team's recent success, McDavid said.

"We're getting contributions from everybody. Whether it's on the score sheet or playing physical or blocking a shot or being solid defensively, I think we're getting contributions up and down the lineup," he said.

"And then a little maturity. We've found ourselves in some tight games and finding a way to close them out and that's a big part of winning."

Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for Edmonton and Vancouver's Spencer Martin stopped 25-of-28 shots.

The Canucks peppered Skinner with shots early, but it was the Oilers who opened the scoring 1:26 into the game.

Hyman dished the puck to McDavid at the offensive blue line and the superstar sprinted past Vancouver's Tyler Myers on a breakaway, then put a shot through Martin's five hole for his league-leading 40th goal of the season.

"Whenever you come to new team it's a little bit difficult in the beginning, obviously," Hyman said.

"I felt like I had a really strong year last year and felt good and felt really strong in the playoffs. And I wanted to kind of take it into this year. I feel comfortable here, obviously."