EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Devin Shore scored the lone shootout goal and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Friday night while resting star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the regular-season finale.
Edmonton will face the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
Mikko Koskinen made 39 saves and Brett Kulak and Tyson Barrie scored to help the Oilers (49-27-6) set a franchise record for consecutive games with a point at home, going 14-0-1 in their last 15 appearances at Rogers Place. They also have won seven of eight overall.
“The way we have been playing over the last little while, even the last 2 1/2, it is all building towards what we are going to be stepping into (with the playoffs) on Monday,” Barrie said. “I think we are in a good position, we are a confident group and we know what is expected of us and what our systems are. We are just ready and excited to execute it.”
J.T. Miller and Conor Garland scored for Vancouver and Spencer Martin stopped 31 shots. The Canucks missed the playoffs, finishing 40-30-12.
“I told them I was really proud of them. I can take maybe four or five games where we didn’t start out very well, but out of the 50-some games that I was here, the effort was there almost every night,” Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I’m unhappy that we didn’t make the playoffs, but not unhappy with the way we played and I think the organization has a bright future.”(backslash)
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