The Vancouver Canucks were determined to break a three-game losing streak against the Vegas Golden Knights, and they did just that in dramatic fashion.
Chris Tanev scored at 1:30 of overtime, securing a 5-4 victory for the Canucks on Thursday night.
“I just passed it to Bo (Horvat) and headed for the net,” said Tanev. “He made an amazing pass. I didn’t think it would reach me, but it landed right on my stick, and I just went around (Marc-Andre) Fleury and put it in.”
Elias Pettersson scored twice for Vancouver, with Antoine Roussel and Tanner Pearson also finding the back of the net.
Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Nick Holden, and Mark Stone scored for Vegas.
Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves for the Canucks, while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots for the Golden Knights.
This win marked Vancouver’s second in 10 games against Vegas since the Golden Knights entered the NHL in 2017-18, improving the Canucks’ record to 2-7-1 against them.
The Golden Knights had a late power play opportunity when Jordie Benn was penalized for tripping with 2:30 left in regulation, but Markstrom held strong, forcing the game into overtime.
The Canucks got off to a strong start, with Roussel opening the scoring just 2:49 into the game by tapping a rebound past Fleury. Less than five minutes later, Pearson capitalized on a give-and-go with Jake Virtanen and Josh Leivo, doubling Vancouver’s lead with a goal as a tripping penalty to Nicolas Hague expired.
Marchessault answered for Vegas with 6:02 left in the first, scoring on a rebound to make it 2-1. However, Pettersson restored the Canucks’ two-goal advantage just 32 seconds before the end of the first period.
The Golden Knights outshot the Canucks 13-11 in the first period, and the game intensified in the second. Smith closed the gap to 3-2 at 11:01 of the second after a blocked shot by Bo Horvat. Moments later, Holden tied the game, but the Canucks were frustrated when no penalty was called after Holden pushed Leivo into the boards, injuring him.
Canucks coach Travis Green called a timeout to settle his team.
“They scored two quick goals, and it felt like they were getting chances almost every shift,” Tanev said. “The timeout helped us calm down, and we played better from that point.”
Pettersson gave Vancouver a 4-3 lead at 9:19 of the third period with a wrist shot from the left circle. Stone tied it again with just 4:20 left in regulation, sending the game into overtime.
“It’s a good point for us,” said Stone. “We didn’t start well, but we dictated much of the play later on and created some great chances.”
Game Notes:
- The Golden Knights were joined on the trip by their fathers, who watched the game from a luxury box at Rogers Arena. Their father’s trip will conclude in San Jose on Sunday.
- Max Pacioretty was named the NHL’s first star for the week ending Dec. 15. Both Pacioretty and Stone extended their point streaks to six games.
- The game marked the 1,500th for Canucks’ head athletic therapist Jon Sanderson, who is in his 21st season with the team.
UP NEXT:
- Golden Knights: Travel to San Jose for a matchup on Sunday.
- Canucks: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.