Edmonton had a lethal power play, so taking a too-many-men penalty just 40 seconds into the game didn’t help Vancouver.

After scoring 57 goals in the regular season, Zach Hyman buried the cross-ice feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for his ninth goal in just his sixth playoff game.

1-0 Oilers.

Later in the opening frame, Edmonton would add to their lead:

Leon Draisaitl picks up the loose puck behind the net and patiently waits for a passing lane to open up to find Mattias Ekholm, who wires a clapper past Arturs Silovs.

2-0 Oilers.

Second Period

Trailing by a pair heading into the first intermission, the Canucks needed a hot start to show some life in this game. And they did just that:

Elias Lindholm wins the draw back to Ian Cole, who winds up a slapshot that misses the net. But it may have been the perfect play, because it re-directs off the backboards and to the opposite side for Dakota Joshua to pick up the rebound and breathe life into the Canucks.

2-1 Oilers.

This goal sparked the Canucks. They would go on an 8-2 run in shots on goal, but could not beat Stuart Skinner. Edmonton would rally behind their goaltender and give the Oilers an insurance marker halfway through the middle frame:

Derek Ryan carries the puck through the neutral zone and into the Canucks end. He cuts back and finds a trailing Cody Ceci, who steps into a slapshot that beats Silovs up high.

3-1 Oilers.

At this point, the game is still well within reach for the Canucks. Unfortunately, Hyman had other plans:

Evan Bouchard sends a cross-ice pass from his own end to a streaming Hyman coming down the left wing. Picking up speed, Hyman makes a quick toe-drag move, but quickly finds himself in a shooting position. With Silovs not yet planted, Hyman takes his opportunity to slide the puck through Silovs’s five-hole to give the Oilers a commanding lead, less than a minute after Ceci’s goal.

4-1 Oilers.

I promise it gets more fun from here on out because this is when the comeback starts.

Down three with 23 minutes to play in a playoff game is a tall task for any team. But you can’t embark on a four-goal comeback without scoring the first one, no matter how it goes in:

With great sustained forechecking pressure from Joshua and Conor Garland, the Canucks shutdown the Oilers clearing attempt, and Lindholm picks up the puck behind the net. Patiently waiting in Gretzky’s office, Lindholm picks his time and attempts to centre the puck to Joshua at the left side of the net. The puck does not get there, instead it deflects off a skate in front, and the Canucks are back within two.

4-2 Oilers.

Third period

The Canucks head into the second break in the same position they found themselves in after the first intermission: down two.

It was a bit of a slow start for the Canucks, would register just four shots on goal through the first 10 minutes, and all hope of a comeback seemed to be slipping away. That was until JT Miller pulled off this ridiculous tip:

Carson Soucy picks up the puck on the left side boards and fires a cross-ice pass to an open Brock Boeser. He walks in and fires a pass down to Miller on the goal line. What most expected to just be a routine pass, Miller brought out his protractor and calculated the angle where he could tip in the pass from across his body and through Skinner.

It was an incredible tip that defied all odds to drag the Canucks within one.

4-3 Oilers.

This goal gave the Canucks belief again, as they turned into sharks that smelt blood in the water, and kept attacking:

Just four minutes later, Nils Höglander sent the puck into the Oilers zone. Teddy Blueger wins the race to the puck and cuts back to wait for the trailer. Nikita Zadorov winds up outside the offensive zone and blasts a slapshot into the top right corner, erupting Rogers Arena.

4-4 tie game.

But they weren’t done yet.

After just tying the game, Zadorov fires a stretch pass to Joshua in the neutral zone, who has an Oilers defender on his back. Guarding the puck, he finds Garland, who picks up speed heading into the Edmonton end. Garland fakes a slapshot to drop Skinner from his stance. He appears as though he’s going around the net with that much speed, but Garland sends a cheeky on-ice shot through the opening he created from the fake slapshot and gives the Canucks their first lead of the game – just 39 seconds after tying the game.

5-4 Canucks.

To this point of the game, the Canucks outshot the Oilers 8-0 in the final frame. They saw the game within reach and took advantage of their opportunity to come back and steal Game 1, as they did against the Nashville Predators in the opening round.

Silovs making the big four stops he needed to in the remaining 5:34 of the third period to solidify the Canucks comeback.

While hockey observers did not get to witness any memorable playoff moments like these this season, Canucks fans can reminisce on the highs they witnessed from one-year ago today.