Brock Boeser scored the tiebreaker for one of his two third-period goals to help the visiting Vancouver Canucks snap a seven-game losing streak with Friday night’s 6-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist, Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger also scored and Max Sasson added an empty-netter for the Canucks, who overcame blowing a 3-1 first-period lead to win for just the third time in 24 games (3-17-4).
Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar each recorded a goal with an assist for Chicago, which is mired in a 2-7-3 rut.
Vancouver broke a 3-3 tie on a power play 2:40 into the third. Off a rather awkward rebound of Arvid Soderblom’s save of Linus Karlsson’s puck to the net, Boeser was able to bat it home.
Set to miss the playoffs, both teams unloaded several players this week prior to Friday’s trade deadline. Notably, the Canucks traded forward Conor Garland and veteran defenseman Tyler Myers. Meanwhile, blue-liner Connor Murphy and captain Nick Foligno were the most prominent names dealt by Chicago this week.
The Blackhawks wasted no time opening the scoring just 1:08 into the contest. Via a 3-on-1, Ryan Donato dumped the puck hard enough off the end board that it rebounded right back for him to send by Vancouver’s Nikita Tolopilo (20 saves).
Vancouver, though, answered with vigor.
One minute later, Tom Willander’s pass toward the front of the net glanced in off O’Connor and past Soderblom (16 saves). Then 24 seconds later, the Canucks went ahead when DeBrusk redirected home Zeev Buium’s drive.
Vancouver made it 3-1 with 13:28 remaining in the first. Charging with the puck, Marcus Pettersson pushed it near the crease where a well-positioned Blueger chipped it amidst some net-front traffic.
Chicago stopped the bleeding with eight minutes left in the opening frame. Oliver Moore sent a cross-slot pass for Mikheyev to beat an out-of-position Tolopilo.
The Blackhawks worked their way back to tie things with 42.6 seconds remaining in the second period when Nazar tipped in Alex Vlasic’s shot from left point.
–Field Level Media
