An early start time was no trouble for the Vancouver Canucks.
Facing a rare 9:30 a.m. (Pacific) opening faceoff, the Canucks burst out of the gate with three first-period goals, then held on for a 4-3 win over the host Washington Capitals in NHL action Sunday at Capital One Arena. Vancouver has won three games in a row, all on the road in less than 72 hours.
Centre Elias Pettersson, Tyler Myers and Kiefer Sherwood all scored in the first 20 minutes for the Canucks (4-2-0) and the Caps never recovered. Teddy Blueger had the other Vancouver goal, with Thatcher Demko making 28 saves to earn the win in goal. Ryan Leonard, Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson replied for the Caps (4-2-0). Charlie Lindgren took the loss in goal, stopping 19 of 23 shots.
The Canucks scored on the first shot of the game, when Conor Garland made a pass from the right corner to Pettersson, who beat Lindgren from the bottom of the circle for his first goal of the year 59 seconds in.
Myers made it 2-0 at 17:11, knocking home a loose puck after a scramble in front of Lindgren. The Caps challenged the play for goaltender interference but were unsuccessful and Sherwood converted a rebound of a point shot 41 seconds later on the ensuing power play. Sherwood has four goals on the season.
During the period, Vancouver's Filip Chytil took a heavy hit from Washington's Tom Wilson and did not return.
Vancouver upped their lead to 4-0 (on their 15th shot) at 4:54 of the second, when Blueger scored his first of the season, beating Lindgren from the slot after the puck bounced off Evander Kane's skate.
Leonard scored Washington's first goal at 13:42, slotting in his own rebound after being robbed by Demko.
At 9:01 of the third, Chychrun pulled the Caps within two, moving in from the point and converting a cross-crease feed from Hendrix Lapierre.
Washington pulled Lindgren late in the third for an extra attacker and Carlson drew the Caps back within one at 4-3, scoring on a point shot with 2:14 to go.
With Lindgren on the bench again, Pettersson had two big shot blocks off Washington's Alex Ovechkin and the Canucks hung on for the win.
NOTES: Garland finished with two assists, while Myers also had two points… Vancouver's Victor Mancini and Washington's Brandon Duhaime engaged in a spirited second-period fight, with Mancini getting the takedown… Vancouver's Jonathan Lekkerimäki was injured in the first period and didn't return… Canucks forward Brock Boeser missed the game for what the club announced as personal reasons… The Canucks continued their road swing Tuesday (4 p.m.) in Pittsburgh.