VANCOUVER — “It was weird to be excited about the ninth (goal),” mused Connor McDavid. “But given the situation …”

After dropping a 6-5 game in overtime against the Canucks on Opening Night in Edmonton, the Oilers came back with a 9-7 win in Vancouver on Thursday that left absolutely no one satisfied. Even when Leon Draisaitl made it 9-6 with just over 10 minutes to play, this one was in doubt.

But, there are a lot of reasons to doubt the Oilers right now, a leaky ship that sails home for repairs now before hosting Seattle on Saturday.

The goaltending is at an ECHL level through two games, the defensive structure simply nonexistent. If new head coach Mike Babcock is teaching a defensive system, he may need a fresh chalkboard. Because no one here is picking up whatever he’s laying down when it comes to D-zone coverage.

Things felt pretty sweet when it was 8-2 for Edmonton halfway through the game, two four-goal periods seemingly putting this one to bed by the 30-minute mark.

But by the time McDavid faced the microphones, most of the good had been washed away by five more Vancouver goals, and the realization that Edmonton has allowed 12 regulation goals in the opening two games of the season.

“For 30, 40 minutes, it was what the game should look like for us. What it could look like for us,” said McDavid, who had a goal and four assists. “Offence has never been the real........

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