Brock Boeser scored the go-ahead goal at 8:56 of the third period to lift the host Vancouver Canucks to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Filip Hronek collected a goal and an assist and Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves in relief of an injured Thatcher Demko for the Canucks, who have won three games in a row and improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight. Vancouver also boosted its home winning streak against Toronto to eight games.
With his team on the power play, Chytil was unmarked as he skated in from the blue line and fed Boeser in the slot for an easy conversion to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead.
Demko turned aside all six shots he faced before exiting midway into the first period with an undisclosed injury. Lankinen entered and flustered the Maple Leafs for the second time in as many meetings this season. He had 20 saves in Vancouver’s 3-0 win in Toronto on Jan. 11.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly scored a goal late in the second period and Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the Maple Leafs, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt in the finale of their four-game road trip.
Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes sat out his fourth straight game due to an undisclosed injury. The reigning Norris Trophy recipient was hurt in the Canucks’ 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Jan. 31.
Stationed along the left-wing boards above the faceoff circle, Elias Pettersson wired a sharp diagonal pass that was deflected home at the doorstep by Hronek to open the scoring exactly seven minutes into the first period.
Toronto pressed for the equalizer and finally got it with six seconds left in the middle period. Rielly wired a shot from the right circle that sailed past a screened Lankinen to forge a 1-1 tie.
–Field Level Media
