Miller's winner helps Canucks push Oilers to brink

J.T. Miller scored the winner with under a minute remaining as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 to take a 3-2 series lead in the second-round matchup Thursday night.

The Canucks trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes, but they outshot the Oilers 17-4 in the second period while tying the game on Phillip Di Giuseppe's tally 5:14 into the middle stanza.

Miller's goal was his third of these playoffs. It was the second-latest go-ahead playoff marker in franchise history behind Raffi Torres' goal in Game 1 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which came with 19 seconds left.

"They (got) a bounce, they probably deserved a bounce tonight (because) I thought they were the better team," Oilers superstar Connor McDavid told the media, including Sportsnet, postgame.

Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini took the opportunity to repost something relevant (though former general manager Jim Benning was fired about two years after the zinger).

Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs made 21 saves in the victory Thursday, while Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard turned aside 32 shots in a losing effort.

Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday night in Edmonton. A potential Game 7 would take place Monday night in Vancouver.

The winner of this series will meet either the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. The Stars lead that series 3-2 with Game 6 on tap for Friday night in Denver.