*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*
What's a better way to finish off an exciting game with overtime? Quinn Hughes scored, JT Miller scored the overtime winner, and the Vancouver Canucks rallied to defeat the San Jose Sharks with a 5-4 win in overtime on Thursday night in San Jose.
Hughes had a two point night in his first game since being activated from the league's Covid-19 protocols, and Miller had a goal and an assist for a two point night as well. The Canucks have now won two of their last 3 games, but they still face an uphill climb in the tightly contested Pacific Division, as they remain in 6th place.
Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said postgame that "To give it up with less than a second left was pretty upsetting, but we got the two points. I don't know if we deserved it, but sometimes those are the games you need to get a jump-start."
Getting the start and keeping the Canucks going was Thatcher Demko, who picked up another win for the Canucks. Demko turned aside 24 of the 28 shots he faced from the Sharks. It was a less than optimal .857 save percentage, but it was enough for the win, with his record improving to 20-15-2 in 37 starts this season.
The first goal of the game came from Brock Boeser, who scored his 15th goal of the season 14:54 into the game, assisted by Miller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Hughes scored his 3rd goal of the season with 2:20 left in the period, this one being an unassisted goal.
Logan Couture got the Sharks on the board 3:35 into the second period, cutting the deficit to 2-1 early in the second. Juho Lammikko then made the lead a two goal margin again, with his 5th goal of the season putting the Canucks ahead by a 3-1 score. Timo Meier then scored on the power play 14:03 into the second, making it a 3-2 game after two periods.
Meier scored on the power play, tying the game 3-3 just 45 seconds into the 3rd period, his second goal of the night. After Conor Garland put the Canucks back ahead, Alexander Barabanov tied the game 4-4 with less than one second left in regulation. On a delayed penalty in overtime, Miller found the back of the net for the game winner.
Garland said of the win postgame that "We didn't have our A-game, but fortunate to grind out a win. hey came out hard. They probably weren't at their best in the first. We knew they would come out and challenge."
The Sharks have now lost 5 straight games, with James Reimer taking another loss in net. Reimer stopped just 22 of the 27 shots the Canucks sent his way, posting a .815 save percentage in the loss. Reimer's record dropped to 13-10-4 in 27 starts on the season.
Meier said of the team's play that "We didn't play too bad, so it was sticking to the system and not trying to get away from it when you're down goals. We did a good job with that, we stuck with it. We got a point out at the end. Obviously frustrating losing in overtime, but I think tonight we showed a lot of character."
The Canucks get back in action with a Saturday matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, with Demko in line to get another start in net. The Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, with Reimer the likely starter.
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