VANCOUVER — Anton Rodin scored the winning goal as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in pre-season action Wednesday night at Roger Arena.

Joseph LaBate, defenceman Troy Stecher, with a goal and an assist, Brendan Gaunce, and Erik Gudbranson also scored for Vancouver (1-0-1) in its first home pre-season game.

Drake Caggiula scored twice and Griffin Reinhart had a goal for Edmonton (2-1-0).

With Oiler Benoit Pouliot off for tripping late in the third, Rodin one timed a beautiful pass from Stecher for the go-ahead goal with just over four minutes left to play.

Hulking defenceman Gudbranson, who came to Vancouver in a trade with the Florida Panthers last May, scored in his debut for the Canucks.

He spent much of his night facing down speedy Oilers phenom Connor McDavid, who made his pre-season debut playing for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey. He played on a line with Jordan Eberle and new Oiler — and Vancouver native — Milan Lucic. The trio almost got one past goalie Ryan Miller on a odd-man rush midway through the first.

Vancouver opening the scoring on the power play at 7:40 when Richmond, B.C., product Stecher fired in a wrist shot from the point that cleared traffic and beat Jonas Gustavsson on the glove side.

Edmonton quickly responded on a gaffe from Miller. The goalie lost the puck behind the net and Patrick Maroon took advantage, passing to Caggiula out front to tie the game 1-1.

The Canucks regained the lead as Gaunce, from the slot, shot the puck over Gustavsson's blocker. However, the Oilers tied it on two-man advantage with Caggiula's second straight just before the period's end.

Stecher and Caggiula are both University of North Dakota hockey alums.

Canucks goalie prospect Thatcher Demko entered the game midway through the second as Miller exited with 15 saves. LaBate gave him a cushion as Alex Edler found the streaking winger with a great cross-ice pass to make it 3-2.

But Edmonton equalized again as Reinhart blasted one from the top of the face-off circle with under a minute left in the period.

Nick Ellis replaced Gustavsson to start the third. Gustavsson finished with 14 saves on 17 shots.

Maroon took a hard check in the corner and limped to the locker-room favouring his left knee midway through the third. He did not return.

Gudbranson added the empty-netter at 18:34.

Notes: The Canucks cut prospect Jordan Subban Wednesday. The defenceman was sent to the AHL's Utica Comets.