Pettersson’s lone shootout goal puts Canucks over Jets 4-3
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Elias Pettersson scored the lone goal in the shootout, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on Friday night.
The Swedish center deftly stick handled his way in, waiting out Winnipeg goalie Eric Comrie, then wrapping a shot around his outstretched frame.
Nils Hoglander had a pair of goals for Vancouver, while Conor Garland also found the back of the net and Bo Horvat added a pair of assists. Thatcher Demko stopped 34 shots in regulation for the Canucks.
Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each had a goal and two assists for Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele also scored and Comrie had 33 saves in his first start since Nov. 19.
It’s the first time Vancouver has won three games in a row, and all have come under new coach Bruce Boudreau.
Both sides had stellar chances to put the game away in overtime, but Demko and Comrie each made magnificent saves.
Vancouver got an extra man for the final 49.6 seconds of overtime after Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers was called for tripping. The Canucks called a 30-second time out to scheme, but couldn’t get a puck past Comrie.
Earlier in the game, the two sides traded goals across the first two periods then locked in for a defensive battle across the third.
Winnipeg was 1 for 3 with the man advantage Friday. Vancouver went scoreless on two power plays.
NOTES: Wheeler extended his point streak to five games. He has one goal and nine assists across the stretch. … The Canucks (65.9 per cent) and Jets (68.4 per cent) came into Friday’s game with the two worst penalty kills in the league. … Vancouver placed defenceman Travis Hamonic on injured reserve Thursday and called Noah Juulsen up from the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks. Hamonic suffered a lower-body injury against Boston Wednesday and is expected to miss two to three weeks.
