OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Elias Pettersson thought it was a pretty good day.
Pettersson completed a hat trick in overtime to lift the Vancouver Canucks over the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Wednesday night. Oh, and the breakout rookie was named an All-Star before the game.
“I’m very happy with that,” Pettersson said. “The stars of the NHL are there, the players I watched growing up, and now I’m going to be at the All-Star Game.”
Pettersson’s success comes as no surprise to his coaches and teammates.
“He’s had so many chances to get a hat trick so far this year, so to finally see him get that third one is a special moment for him,” teammate Brock Boeser said. “It’s not surprising though because he’s going to have a lot more hat tricks.”
Pettersson’s second goal put Vancouver ahead 3-1 early in the third period, but Christian Wolanin and Mark Stone scored for Ottawa, with Stone tying the game with 50 seconds left.
Pettersson won it by burying a 2-on-1 feed from Boeser. The 20-year-old rookie has 22 goals, including seven game-winners, through 37 games this season.
Canucks head coach Travis Green has been impressed by his young rookie and is pleased to see him enjoy the success.
“What are you going to say? Big day for him,” Vancouver coach Travis Green said. “He gets a hat trick, all-star selection, he was dialed in.”
Sven Baertschi also scored for the Canucks, who are playing the fourth of a six-game trip. Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots.
Matt Duchene also scored for the Senators, who are mired in a six-game skid. Marcus Hogberg, making his third straight start, had 41 saves.
“We’re trying not to roll over in here,” Stone said. “Guys are competing. We understand this is our job and our job is to win.”
Pettersson scored on a power play five minutes into the third, but Ottawa made it a one-goal game midway through the period when Wolanin got his first of the season. The Senators pressed for the equalizer and got it in the final minute of regulation when Stone scored from in close.
NOTES: Alexander Edler had three assists for Vancouver, and Boeser had two. Earlier in the day, the Senators and Canucks made a trade when Ottawa sent away goalie Mike McKenna, forward Tom Pyatt and Ottawa’s sixth-round pick in 2019 in exchange for goalie Anders Nilsson and forward Darren Archibald.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Play at Montreal on Thursday night.
Senators: Host Minnesota on Saturday.
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