VANCOUVER -- Jannik Hansen left late in the third period after colliding face-first with the crossbar but returned to score his second goal of the game with 58.6 seconds left in overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 2-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena on Saturday.
Hansen, who had blood running down his forehead when he left with 1:04 left in the third period and didn't return until midway through the five-minute overtime, skated full speed into the Edmonton end and beat Cam Talbot through the blocker side arm with a hard slap shot from the top of the right circle.
The victory was the Canucks' first in eight decisions in the new 3-on-3 overtime format.
Jacob Markstrom made 32 saves to win his second straight start since Ryan Miller left with an injury during the shootout on Dec. 20 against the Florida Panthers.
Markstrom added an assist on Hansen's game-winner for the Canucks (14-14-9), who are 3-0-1 in their past four games.
Mark Letestu scored and Talbot, who was starting consecutive games for the first time since late October, made 22 saves for the Oilers (15-18-3), who have lost five straight and 10 of their past 12 games on the road.
Letestu opened the scoring 7:05 into the first period after Vancouver forward Radim Vrbata tried to juggle a puck out of the air to himself with his stick just inside his own blue line. The puck came to Edmonton forward Lauri Korpikoski instead; he tipped it ahead to Letestu, who backed in the defense and used Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler as a screen before beating Markstrom high on the glove side with a shot from above the right hash mark.
It was Letestu's fourth goal of the season and first in 10 games.
Edmonton outshot the Canucks 13-6 in the opening period, but Vancouver forced Talbot to make a couple of the hardest saves and also hit a post on a backdoor deflection.
Hansen tied it 3:37 into the second period after a pretty pass from Henrik Sedin. Henrik took a pass from Daniel Sedin in the corner and carried the puck below the goal line before lifting a pass over defenseman Nikita Nikitin as he dropped to block it, and onto the stick of Hansen in the slot for a one-timer through Talbot's legs.
The Canucks were missing top-pairing defenseman Christopher Tanev, who was hurt blocking a shot by Steven Stamkos in the final minutes against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 22, Vancouver's last game before a three-day Christmas break.
With Tanev joining defensive regulars Dan Hamhuis and Luca Sbisa on the sidelines, Andrey Pedan played his second NHL game, and first in his natural position as a defenseman after skating as a forward on Dec. 1 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Forward Alexandre Burrows was also a surprise late scratch with an upper-body injury as the Canucks, who have played 17 of their past 23 game on the road, opened a season-long seven-game homestand.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment