Jake DeBrusk had two goals with an assist, and the visiting Vancouver Canucks overcame the ejection of star Quinn Hughes to hang on for their seventh straight road win, 4-3 over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Kiefer Sherwood recorded a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who prevailed despite Hughes being issued a game misconduct for boarding Josh Norris with 7:31 remaining in the first period. DeBrusk, who entered with just three goals, snapped a six-game goal drought as the Canucks improved to a franchise-best 7-1-0 on the road.
Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk posted his 10th goal and received his own misconduct penalty with less than seven minutes left in the game. But late goals from Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle made things interesting for Ottawa, which is mired in an 0-4-1 slide.
The Senators couldn’t take advantage of the early departure of Hughes, Vancouver’s leader with 19 points, who earned a major penalty for his check on Norris, whose head hit the end board. The Canucks were already without fellow stars Thatcher Demko (knee), Brock Boeser (upper-body injury) and J.T. Miller (personal reasons).
However, the Canucks killed the five-minute Senators’ power play that followed. Then they made the most of their own power play when DeBrusk deflected in Conor Garland’s shot with 1:24 left in the first to open the scoring.
Ottawa, though, converted on its next power-play opportunity at 3:41 of the second period as Tkachuk’s quick stick pushed the puck past Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen (26 saves), who has won all seven of his road starts.
But the Canucks stormed back with three straight goals.
With 10:37 remaining in the second, Vancouver’s Max Sasson sent a pass into the slot that Blueger sent past Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark (17 saves). It was Sasson’s first career NHL game. Less than four minutes later, working a two-on-one with Sherwood, DeBrusk brilliantly deked Ullmark for a 3-1 lead.
DeBrusk then earned an assist when Sherwood won a net-front scrum with 11:19 left in regulation for a 4-1 Canucks lead.
Giroux’s power-play goal came with 3:31 left in the third and Stutzle notched the 100th goal of his career with 44 seconds to go and Ullmark pulled.
–Field Level Media
