2022.23

Thatcher Demko #35 and Kyle Burroughs #44 of the Vancouver Canucks defend against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

March 4, 2023

Canucks Elias Pettersson broke a 1-1 tie in the 3rd period against the Toronto Maple Leafs with his 4th shorthanded goal of the season at 6:49, which was the eventual winner in a 4-1 win.

Vancouver entered the final period even with the Maple Leafs at 1-1, with Canuck Andrei Kuzmenko’s 29th goal late in the opening period at 17:51 (assists to Quinn Hughes (53) and Brock Boeser (28)); and Maple Leafs John Tavares’s early 2nd-period goal at 1:32, the only shots to beat Leaf’s goalie Matt Murray and Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko respectively.

J.T. Miller made the score 3-1 Vancouver, 44 seconds after Pettersson’s 2-1 goal at 7:33, with his own shorthanded goal, his 2nd of the season, and the Canucks were dominating the game.

Miller (35) and Tyler Myers (10) assisted on the Pettersson goal, while Pettersson (49) and Quinn Hughes (54) assisted on the Miller goal.

Nils Aman would put an exclamation on the game for the Canucks outstanding final period, snapping a shot past Murray with his 3rd goal of the season, assisted by Boeser (29) and Phillip Di Giuseppe (2) at 12:34.

Nils Aman #88 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a goal on Matt Murray #30 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

Brock Boeser (0-2=2), Quinn Hughes (0-2=2), Elias Pettersson (1-1=2), and J.T. Miller (1-1=2), all picked up two points each.

Kuzmenko (1-0=1), Di Giuseppe (0-1=1), Myers (0-1=1), and Aman (1-0=1) also put their stamp on the game.

Demko slammed the door, bolting it shut and stopping 36 of 37 shots, including being 28 for 28 in the first and last periods combined, to allow Vancouver to get the opening goal of the game as well as insurance goals to put the game away in the 3rd period.

Canucks Scuttlebutt

With two assists tonight, Quinn Hughes became the fastest defenceman in NHL history to reach 200 career assists in 263 games played, beating Brian Leetch who reached the milestone in 264 games played.

Source: Vancouver Canucks Twitter

Canucks have the worst team save percentage in NHL at 87.2%. But in 3 games since he returned from injury, Thatcher Demko has stopped 104/111 shots (93.7%) and led Canucks to wins over Toronto and Dallas. So that’s what elite goaltending looks like.

Source: Iain MacIntyre Twitter

Canucks SHG from Elias Pettersson & J.T. Miller vs Leafs, 44 seconds apart is a new club record.

It breaks previous club record set by Canucks Alumni Petri Skriko who had 2 SHG 1:11 apart on Flames Mike Vernon @ Pacific Coliseum Nov.18/86.

Source: Joey Kenward Twitter

Source: nhl.com

Source: nhl.com

UPCOMING GAMES

• March 6: Vs Nashville Predators
• March 8: Vs Anaheim Ducks
• March 11: Vs Ottawa Senators
• March 14: Vs Dallas Stars