The Vancouver Canucks pushed their win streak to four games as they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Saturday night. Vancouver’s offence came courtesy of Elias Pettersson, Kiefer Sherwood, J.T. Miller and Arshdeep Bains, while Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves in the win. The game was special for a multitude of reasons, as not only did the organization celebrate Tyler Myers’ 1,000th game, but Bains’ goal was the first of his NHL career.
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The biggest story for tonight’s game was Bains scoring his first career goal. With his parents in the crowd, the pride of Surrey, B.C., pounced on a Daniel Sprong rebound and was able to beat Alex Nedeljkovic for what ended up being the game-winner. When asked about his career to this moment, Bains said, “It’s been a journey. It’s a lot you got to learn, and you got to learn it quickly. The guys have helped me, the staff helped me believe in me. It feels a step closer tonight.”
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Rick Tocchet was also asked about the goal and pointed out how special a moment it was. The Canucks coach said, “It’s great. I was talking about Footy (Adam Foote) after the game, you remember your first goal. It’s pretty special. Fans were, you know, local kids cheering them on. I think that’s a special time for him. I hope his parents were in the stands. It was nice.”
Another big moment that ended up kick-starting the comeback was Pettersson’s first goal of the season. The goal was the first of four straight by Vancouver and three in 65 seconds. Pettersson was asked about his goal post-game, saying, “I just tried to get it high on the far side, and luckily, it went post and in.”
Pettersson also spoke about Bains’ first goal, saying, “Super pumped for him. He works hard and makes plays. Great guy. He’s been having some chances to score so yeah, finally feel that, and I’m sure he has a lot of lot of emotions now.”
Sprong also received some praise from Tocchet after the game. Tocchet called Sprong’s performance “excellent” and also spoke on Sprong’s attitude, saying, “As a coach, you like a guy’s attitude. His attitude was excellent, so I gave him a lot of credit.” Now, with two points in four games, more performances like tonight should help Sprong stick in the lineup moving forward.
Another positive for the Canucks from this game was the penalty kill, which went three for three. The penalty kill was so effective that the Penguins only managed one shot on goal. Now up to 11th in the NHL with a kill percentage of 82.6%, the penalty kill continues to be one of the most consistent parts of Vancouver’s game.
Ultimately, the Canucks put forth a strong effort and were able to capitalize on Pittsburgh’s mistakes. The team received goals from all four lines while Lankinen was once again solid in the net. If Vancouver can keep up this level of play, they should be able to extend their win streak on Monday.
Facts and Stats:
– Vancouver’s three goals in 65 seconds are the fourth-fastest in franchise history
– Arshdeep Bains becomes the fourth player born in Surrey to score a goal for the Canucks
– Vancouver has won all four games that Kiefer Sherwood records a point in
– Canucks set a new season high with 34 shots on goal
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
7:48- PIT: Anthony Beauvillier (3) from Marcus Pettersson and Evgeni Malkin
Second Period:
1:56- PIT: Byran Rust (3) from Anthony Beauvillier and Evgeni Malkin
4:06- VAN: Elias Pettersson (1) from Conor Garland and Tyler Myers
4:49- VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (2) from Teddy Blueger and Vincent Desharnais
5:11- VAN: J.T. Miller (4) from Brock Boeser
9:58- VAN: Arshdeep Bains (First Career Goal) from Daniel Sprong
Third Period
13:22- PIT: Evgeni Malkin (3) from Rickard Rakell and Matt Grzelcyk
Up Next:
The Canucks will get a day off before facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Last season, Vancouver went 2-0 against Carolina, including a 4-3 win at home. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.
