Edmonton Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen highlights momentum building despite Leon Draisaitl's absence

The Edmonton Oilers settled for six goals in a dominant second period to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 6-0 on Saturday night at Rogers Arena, with forward Kasperi Kapanen crediting team unity during star center Leon Draisaitl's absence for a family matter.

Kapanen, who scored twice in the explosive middle frame, emphasized the collective effort that saw the Oilers score six times in just 13 minutes and 23 seconds after going scoreless for more than 109 minutes across their previous five periods.

Kasperi Kapanen believes Edmonton Oilers are going in right direction after recent win

"I think the second period was really good from us and I thought throughout the game we played well," Kapanen said after the victory. He added that even in their previous 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders, the team showed positive signs.

"I thought as a whole, we played a pretty solid game, so we just want to continue this momentum," he told reporters. The Finnish forward's two-goal performance came alongside another pair from linemate Jack Roslovic as the Oilers dominated a struggling Canucks squad that has now lost 10 consecutive games.

Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin also found the net in the second-period onslaught, while goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped all 31 shots for his first shutout with Edmonton. The victory marked Edmonton's fourth win in their last seven games and improved their record to 24-17-8 on the season.

However, the win came without Draisaitl, the team's second-leading scorer, who returned to Germany to attend to a family illness. Kapanen acknowledged the challenge of playing without their star teammate while expressing support for Draisaitl during a difficult time.

"We miss Leo and we wish him the best, and to him and his family, obviously going through a lot right now," he said. "So obviously playing for him as well, so it's a big one today," he continued.

The Oilers forward also noted the difficulty of back-to-back games, with Edmonton set to host the St. Louis Blues the following night to open an eight-game homestand. "Tomorrow's going to be a tough game and back-to-backs are always hard, so it'll be tough, but I like where the team's at right now; everybody's stepping up," Kapanen mentioned.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contributed two assists in his 999th NHL regular-season game, while Connor McDavid extended his road point streak to 13 games with an assist on the night.


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