Max Sasson’s goal with four minutes to play in the third period broke open a 3-3 tie and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 5-4 win over the host Anaheim Ducks in NHL action Wednesday at the Honda Center.
Linus Karlsson, Evander Kane, Conor Garland and Drew O’Connor also tallied for the Canucks (10-12-2). Nikita Tolopilo, called up after injuries to regular goalies Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen, was solid between the pipes for Vancouver, making 37 stops.
Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier scored for Anaheim (14-8-1). Petr Mrazek took the loss in goal, stopping 23 of 27 shots.
Karlsson opened the scoring at 9:49 of the first period. Arshdeep Bains made a nice play to get the puck to Marcus Pettersson, whose point shot deflected off the end boards to Karlsson, who deposited his fourth of the year past Mrazek.
Kane upped the lead to 2-0 two minutes later on a power play, winning a faceoff and getting the puck back at the top of the left circle and beating Mrazek. It was Kane’s fourth goal of the year and first in nine games.
The Canucks held the lead through 20 minutes, despite being outshot 13-5.
Anaheim sliced into the deficit just nine seconds into the second period, when LaCombe beat Tolopilo from the deep slot on the power play.
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Garland restored Vancouver’s two-goal margin at 9:04, taking a nice feed from Brock Boeser and dangling around defender Drew Helleson before beating Mrazek. Garland has six goals on the year.
Carlsson pulled the Ducks within 3-2 at 16:19, backhanding a shot past Tolopilo after a net-front scramble.
With just 1:26 to go in the period, McTavish pulled the Ducks event at 3-3, converting a terrific pass from Beckett Sennecke and beating Tolopilo stick-side.
Sasson broke the 3-3 tie with 4:02 to play when he tipped Filip Hronek’s point shot and it deflected off Helleson past Mrazek. Sasson now has five goals for the year. O’Connor tallied into an empty net (his seventh goal of the season) at 18:08 for an insurance marker. Gauthier scored with seven seconds to play to draw the Ducks within 5-4 but the Canucks held on for the win.
The Canucks visit San Jose Friday (1 p.m. Black Friday start) and play in L.A. Saturday night (7 p.m.).
NOTES: Tolopilo was playing in just his third NHL game… Vancouver defenceman Tom Willander had two assists for his career multi-point game… LaCombe finished with three points for the Ducks, while Hronek had two assists for the Canucks… The Ducks were 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Canucks were 1-for-3.