3 things Vancouver Canucks did wrong in Game 7 loss to Edmonton Oilers 

The Vancouver Canucks suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series, ending their season and Stanley Cup dreams.

The Oilers controlled the play for most of the game before Vancouver attempted a late rally. Unfortunately for the Canucks, their efforts were not enough to force overtime.

Here's a closer look at what went wrong for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7.

3 things Vancouver Canucks got wrong in Game 7

#1. The push came too late

The Vancouver Canucks seemed like a zombie for considerable stretches of the game. They didn’t generate much offense, especially in the second period, allowing the Oilers to take a 3-0 lead.

The Canucks seemed out of it until Connor Garland scored at 11:27. At that point, the Canucks found fresh legs, pushing the Oilers. Filip Hronek made it 3-2 with a little under five minutes to play.

However, it was too little, too late.

The Oilers held back Vancouver's late push to seal the victory.

For Vancouver, it seems like it wasted close to 50 minutes before finally dialing it up. While it may seem like it finally wore the Oilers down, the fact is that Vancouver just ran out of time.

#2: The stars went missing

Vancouver’s star power was nowhere to be found. This concerning trend was the Canucks’ ultimate undoing.

Elias Pettersson closed out a forgettable series, notching two shots on goal. Meanwhile, J.T. Miller registered a single shot on net, with Quinn Hughes and Elias Lindholm assisting on the Hronek goal.

Beyond that, the Canucks’ stars did not live up to their reputations. It was depth players like Garland and Hronek who showed up when Vancouver needed a punch.

While it’s easy to speculate why the Canucks’ stars didn’t perform to their usual standards, the truth is that Vancouver’s top players did not carry the team as they should have.

#3: The team let Silovs down

Arturs Silovs tried to steal the game for Vancouver. He stopped 13 shots in the first. While the Oilers scored three times in the second period, Silovs stopped seven powerplay shots while making two shorthanded saves.

The fact that the Canucks relied on a third-string goalie to steal games for them says much about how the team viewed their chances of winning.

Ultimately, the offense let Silovs down. Silovs made 26 saves, keeping the game 3-0 in the third, giving the Vancouver offense a chance to come back. While they came close, it was not enough.

Now that the offseason has begun for Vancouver, head coach Rick Tocchet can take time to assess what went wrong, especially the lack of production from his top players.

The Edmonton Oilers face the Dallas Stars next in the Western Conference finals. Game 1 of the series takes place at American Airlines Center on Thursday.