Mike Babcock challenged the Edmonton Oilers to repeat their best stretches after Thursday’s wild 9-7 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
The Oilers scored nine goals at Rogers Arena to secure their first win of the 2026-27 NHL season. Edmonton had opened the campaign with a 6-5 overtime loss to Vancouver.
Connor McDavid led the offense with one goal and four assists. Leon Draisaitl added two goals and an assist, while Evan Bouchard recorded a goal and two assists.
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However, Babcock focused on consistency rather than Edmonton’s offensive explosion.
“We know we can be way better,” Babcock said after his first win as Edmonton’s coach. “What I saw tonight was a group that could play right and knew what they were doing.”
He also saw periods where Edmonton moved away from its structure.
“So, the main thing is if you know you can do it, now you got to find a way to just repeat,” Babcock said. “Repeat, repeat, rinse, repeat, do it again.”
Mike Babcock wants more consistency from Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers built an 8-2 lead midway through the second period before Vancouver mounted a comeback. The Canucks scored four consecutive goals, cutting Edmonton’s advantage to 8-6 early in the third period. Draisaitl responded with a power-play goal to restore some breathing room.
Devon Levi made his first NHL start since January 2025. He stopped 15 shots in his Edmonton debut.
Babcock also praised the Oilers after the victory while recognizing areas that require improvement.
“Always nice to win, I’ve never ever met a bad win,” Babcock told the team. “We obviously can get way better and we know that when we’re going to.”
The coach also congratulated Owen Michaels and Ryan Shea after both scored their first NHL goals.
“Real good job on all you guys that got your first goal in the league,” Babcock said. “Congratulations, that’s it.”
Edmonton finished the home-and-home series with three points from two games. The offense produced 15 goals, but the defense allowed 13.
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That imbalance gives Babcock an obvious early-season challenge. The Oilers have shown they can score heavily, but maintaining their structure will determine whether the results become sustainable.
Edmonton returns home Saturday to face the Seattle Kraken.
