Canucks beat Blues 6-5 in shootout after blowing 3-goal lead
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nick Bonino, Radim Vrbata and Chris Higgins scored in the shootout as the Vancouver Canucks recovered from blowing a three-goal lead for a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night.
Eddie Lack made 34 saves for Vancouver, while Shawn Matthias, Yannick Weber, Jannik Hansen, Henrik Sedin and Bonino each had goals in regulation.
Ryan Reaves, Alex Pietrangelo, Dmitrij Jaskin, Petteri Lindbohm and David Backes had goals for the Blues, who scored three times in the third period to force extra time. Vladimir Tarasenko had the lone shootout goal for St. Louis.
Jake Allen made 21 saves in 58 minutes, 43 seconds of total ice time for St. Louis. He was replaced by Brian Elliot for the start of the third period, and Elliot made three quick saves early to keep the Blues’ deficit at 4-2.
But Bonino made it 5-2 at 6:07 of the third, assisted by Weber and Vrbata, and Elliot was pulled as a result. Elliot stopped five of the six shots he faced.
Paul Stastny helped the Blues’ offense come alive when he threaded a pass to Jaskin, who scored on the power play to make it 5-3 at the 8:18 mark of the third.
St. Louis struck again when Jaden Schartz’s backhand pass found Lindbohm near the faceoff circle and his shot made its way past Lack.
T.J. Oshie passed from behind Lack’s net with Backes tapping it by the goalie at 15:31 to tie it at 5.
Reaves opened the scoring for St. Louis 3:02 into the first period, putting his shot past Lack from near the faceoff circle.
Lucas Sbisa slipped while skating out of his own end, allowing Backes to steal in and slip it to Oshie. Oshie gave it to an onrushing Pietrangelo, who beat Lack at 5:59 of the first to double the Blues’ lead.
Matthias responded for the Canucks two minutes later, and Yannick Weber made it 2-2 at 9:40 of the first.
After missing two chances, Hansen buried his third at 10:15 of the second for Vancouver. Late in the period, Dan Hamhuis’ shot from the point rebounded off Allen and fell to Sedin, who put it past Allen.
NOTES: The Canucks have their second game on their homestand against San Jose on Tuesday. The Blues continue playing on the road, facing off against Philadelphia on Thursday night.
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