The Vancouver Canucks turned their annual Father’s Trip into a memorable night in Las Vegas.
Markus Granlund scored the deciding goal in the shootout, lifting the Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night as the team celebrated on the Las Vegas Strip.
“It was a gutsy performance by our guys tonight,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “I liked how our players responded and battled hard. It was a team effort.”
Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom was outstanding, stopping all four shots in the shootout and making 33 saves during the game.
Bo Horvat kept his impressive form alive, scoring both of Vancouver’s goals. He now has nine points (seven goals and two assists) over his last nine games. But his defensive play with just over two minutes left in overtime stood out the most.
Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas’ leading scorer with 10 points, was on a breakaway and closing in on Markstrom, but Horvat’s relentless backcheck knocked the puck away and stopped the chance.
“I’m just trying to win games,” Horvat said. “Our whole team is. A big part of my success comes from focusing on both ends of the ice. When I play good defense, it leads to more offense. I’ll keep simplifying my game, and good things will happen.”
Marchessault, Max Pacioretty, Erik Haula, and William Karlsson all missed their shootout attempts for the Golden Knights.
Pacioretty and Ryan Reaves scored during regulation for Vegas, while Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves on 26 shots.
The Canucks, playing their seventh road game in their last nine, improved to 2-0 in overtime games and won their first shootout of the season. Vegas, who won a shootout against Minnesota earlier in the season, now stands 1-1 in shootouts.
Despite battling injuries, Green credited his team’s resilience for their strong performance.
Vancouver was missing several key players, including standout rookie Elias Pettersson, who leads all NHL rookies with five goals, as he missed his fifth straight game due to a concussion. Brock Boeser (groin injury) missed his first game of the season, while Christopher Tanev, Sven Baertschi, and Alexander Edler all exited during the game due to injuries.
“We’ve talked from the start about being a tough team to play against, and we stuck to our game plan,” Green said. “We know how we need to play, especially with so many guys out. Everyone’s stepping up and playing their part.”
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights extended their penalty kill streak to 13 over the last five games but struggled again on the power play, going 0-for-4. Vegas remains the worst in the league on the power play, converting just 2 of 28 chances this season.
“They’re getting some chances,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “The execution wasn’t always there, but they’re creating opportunities. When things are going well, the puck finds the back of the net. We’ll keep working on it.”
Pacioretty opened the scoring early in the second period with his second goal of the season, but Vancouver quickly responded. Horvat tipped Loui Eriksson’s shot from the point to tie the game, and a minute later, he sniped a wrist shot over Fleury’s glove to make it 2-1.
Reaves tied it up late in the second period with his second goal of the season for Vegas.
“We knew they would push hard, but I thought we did a great job shutting them down,” Horvat said. “Everyone is coming together, and we’re proving that we can compete. Having our dads here made the win even more special.”
Game Notes:
Vancouver’s Chris Tanev played his 400th career NHL game, all with the Canucks. Alex Tuch debuted for Vegas after missing the first eight games due to a lower-body injury. After the game, Vegas announced a six-year contract extension for suspended defenseman Nate Schmidt, worth an average of $5.95 million annually.
Up Next:
- Vancouver: Travels to Arizona on Thursday.
- Vegas: Hosts Tampa Bay on Friday.