Rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored a goal in regulation, then notched the deciding tally of a shootout to give the Vancouver Canucks a dramatic 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday in Newark, N.J.
The Canucks trailed 3-2 with 36 seconds left in regulation before Conor Garland deposited the equalizer after a scramble in front of New Jersey’s net.
The game remained tied through overtime. Vancouver’s Jake DeBrusk scored in the first round of the shootout and Jesper Bratt pulled the Devils even in the second round before Lekkerimaki ended the proceedings.
The Canucks improved to 1-1-1 over the first three stops of a six-game road trip. Vancouver (33-26-12, 78 points) moved to within three points of the idle St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
Pius Suter, who scored the game’s first goal, has five goals in his past seven games. Lekkerimaki scored the Canucks’ other goal in regulation time.
Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko stopped 22 of 25 shots, including a game-saving sprawl to deny Paul Cotter in overtime. Demko looked sharp in his return to the ice after missing Vancouver’s previous 15 games recovering from a lower-body injury.
The Devils are 1-3-1 in their past five games overall and 2-5-1 in their past eight home games.
Timo Meier scored two goals for New Jersey (37-28-7, 81 points), and Erik Haula produced the Devils’ other tally. Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves.
The Canucks opened the scoring midway through the first period when Marcus Pettersson sent a nice pass to a wide-open Suter in the slot for a one-timer.
Meier collected the equalizer during a power play 10:24 into the second period, off assists from Dawson Mercer and Bratt.
The teams exchanged goals within a 45-second span in the third period. Meier tallied his second of the game at 11:02, but Lekkerimaki quickly responded to again level the score.
Soon after that quick flurry, Haula restored New Jersey’s lead 13:25 into the third frame. Haula won a faceoff in Vancouver’s zone, then deposited the rebound after Brian Dumoulin’s initial shot was stopped.
–Field Level Media
