Paul Cotter scores twice, including the overtime winner, as the Canucks beat the Oilers 6-5

Paul Cotter scored twice, including the winner 1:59 into overtime, as the Vancouver Canucks opened their season with a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Marco Rossi, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson also scored for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen stopped 32 shots. The Canucks are 1-0-0 after finishing last in the NHL last season at 25-49-8. Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the Oilers’ home opener at Rogers Place.

The teams were tied 2-2 entering the third period. Pettersson capped a three-goal Canucks run 5:15 into the frame, making it 5-2. Vasily Podkolzin scored at 8:56, Evan Bouchard completed a hat trick 24 seconds later, and Podkolzin scored again with 43 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Podkolzin had two goals, while Bouchard recorded three goals and two assists. Tristan Jarry made 17 saves for Edmonton, which is 0-0-1.

Cotter joined Vancouver as a free agent after spending the previous two seasons in New Jersey. He became the first player in Canucks history to score a short-handed goal in his team debut. Bouchard became the first defenceman in Oilers history to record a multi-goal game in a season opener, and the third defenceman in NHL history to score a hat trick in a season opener. He was also the third blueliner in the past 30 years to post a four-point game in a season opener.

Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra became the fourth person to have represented Vancouver as both a player and head coach, after Marc Crawford, Pat Quinn and Orland Kurtenbach. The teams meet again Thursday in Vancouver.