LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Vancouver Canucks celebrated their annual Father’s Trip with a victory in Las Vegas.
Markus Granlund scored in the shootout and the Canucks rejoiced on their special night on the Las Vegas Strip after defeating the Golden Knights 3-2 Wednesday night.
“It was a gutty performance by a lot of our guys tonight,” Vancouver coach Travis Green said. “I like how our guys responded and gutted it out. The guys played hard tonight.”
Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped all four shots he faced in the shootout, and made 33 saves.
Bo Horvat kept his hot streak going, scoring both of Vancouver’s goals. He now has nine points (seven goals, two assists) in the last nine games. But it was his hustle on the defensive end with a little more than two minutes left in overtime that produced the play of the game.
Jonathan Marchessault, who leads the Golden Knights with 10 points, had a chance for a breakaway and was closing in on Markstrom, but was thwarted by Horvat, whose backcheck knocked the puck away.
“I’m just trying to win hockey games,” Horvat said. “The whole team is. Part of my success is playing good at both ends of the rink. My defensive game is feeding my offense. If I keep doing that and keep simplifying my game and being that complete player, good things will happen.”
Marchessault, Max Pacioretty, Erik Haula and William Karlsson all missed their opportunities in the shootout.
Pacioretty and Ryan Reaves scored for the Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 of 26 shots.
The Canucks, who played their seventh road game in their last nine contests, are 2-0 in overtime games and now 1-0 in shootouts. The Golden Knights, who won a shootout in Minnesota in their second game of the season, are 1-1 in shootouts.
Green said it’s been his team’s resolve that has helped overcome the injury bug.
The Canucks were without rookie sensation Elias Pettersson, who leads all rookies with five goals, and missed his fifth straight game due to a concussion. All-Star Brock Boeser is dealing with a groin injury and missed his first game of the season, while Christopher Tanev, Sven Baertschi and Alexander Edler were lost during Wednesday’s game.
“We’ve talked about being hard to play against right from Day One and not wavering, sticking with the game,” Green said. “We know the type of game we need to play, especially now. We’re down a lot of guys right now. I like how our team has just stuck with it. Each of them knows how they need to play to have success, and they’re doing it.”
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, extended their penalty kill streak to 13 over their last five games, but continued to struggle with their power play, going 0 for 4. They’re a league worst 2 for 28 this season with a man advantage.
“They’re getting some opportunities,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. “The execution wasn’t there all the time, but there’s two or three chances in every power play. When things are going good they go in the back of the net. They’re getting chances, it’s getting better. They’re doing the best they can.”
Pacioretty scored his second goal of the season to open the scoring and give Vegas a lead early in the second period, but Vancouver tied the game when Horvat redirected Loui Eriksson shot from the point. Horvat’s second goal made it 2-1 a minute later after he raced down the left side and unleashed a wicked wrist shot over Fleury’s glove.
Reaves tied the game late in the second period with his second goal of the season.
“We knew they were going to come hard, but I thought we did a good job shutting that team down,” Horvat said. “I think everyone’s gelling together. Everyone’s ambitious to prove ourselves that we can be a good contender, and so far we’re proving that. Everyone was pretty pumped after the game, obviously having our dads here. You want to win in front of them.”
NOTES: Chris Tanev played in his 400th career game, all with the Canucks. … Vegas’ Alex Tuch made his season debut after sitting out the first eight games with a lower-body injury. … Vegas announced after the game it signed suspended defenseman Nate Schmidt to a six-year contract extension through the 2024-25 season worth an average annual value of $5.95 million.
UP NEXT
Vancouver: Visits Arizona on Thursday.
Vegas: Hosts Tampa Bay on Friday.
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