San Jose Sharks Rally Past Vancouver Canucks
Will Smith scored two third-period goals, including the tying tally just 11 seconds before Mason Marchment’s game-winner, as the San Jose Sharks rallied from a two-period deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Thursday night at the SAP Center. The loss drops the Canucks to 3-11-1 on the National Hockey League season, halting the momentum they found Tuesday during a 6-5 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks, sportsnet.ca reported.
The visiting Canucks carried a 2-0 lead into the final frame of regulation, looking for their second victory after snapping a 10-game losing skid. Drew O’Connor opened the scoring at 13:21 of the first period by knocking home a rebound off a shot from centre Elias Pettersson, according to TSN. Liam Ohgren then doubled the lead with just 1:04 remaining in the second period, ripping a 20-foot wrist shot past San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov for his fourth goal of the campaign, the Abbotsford News reported.
Third-Period Collapse and Penalty Trouble
Vancouver carried a two-goal lead through 40 minutes against goaltender Leevi Merilainen.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki took the second of his two interference penalties at 6:59 of the third period, giving the Sharks a power play. At 8:00, Smith beat Merilainen from the top of the right circle through a screen set by Ivar Stenberg to cut the deficit to 2-1. Just over two minutes later, at 10:39, Smith capitalized on an intercepted clearing attempt by defenceman Elias Pettersson, converting a centring pass from Macklin Celebrini to tie the game. Just 11 seconds after the equalizer, Marchment skated uncontested down the left wing and fired a shot under Merilainen’s glove to secure the 3-2 lead.
Goaltending Performance and Roster Health
Despite yielding the late three-goal surge, Merilainen stopped 21 of 24 shots in his sixth start over an eight-game stretch. The 24-year-old netminder made critical breakaway stops in the first period against Filip Bystedt, Michael Misa, and Kiefer Sherwood. At the other end of the ice, Askarov turned aside 23 shots for the Sharks to preserve the come-from-behind victory.
The Canucks also monitored the health of centre Filip Chytil, who absorbed a heavy, blindside hit along the end boards from Darnell Nurse with four minutes remaining in regulation. Chytil, who missed the first eight games of the season with a shoulder injury and has a history of head and neck issues, remained in the game to skate the final minutes with an extra attacker.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Canucks play next?
The Vancouver Canucks return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Rogers Arena.
Who recorded points for San Jose during the comeback?
Will Smith scored two goals, Mason Marchment contributed a goal and an assist, and Macklin Celebrini registered his 16th point of the season with an assist on Smith’s second goal.
What was Vancouver’s record entering this matchup?
The Canucks entered the contest with a 3-10-1 record, having just broken a 10-game losing streak two nights prior against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Vancouver Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Arena.