The Vancouver Canucks won in overtime 3-2 on a power play goal by Bo Horvat, who now has 19 tallies on the season.
Earlier Saturday, Brock Boeser was declared a healthy scratch for this game by head coach Bruce Boudreau at the morning skate. Instead, come warm-ups, Boeser was slotted as a 3rd-line wing as his original replacement Dakota Joshua came down with a mystery ailment/injury.
Considering the loss of Boeser’s dad Duke this summer, and the fact it’s Hockey Fights Cancer night in Vancouver, this was an appreciated backpedal. Boeser was able to warm-up wearing a jersey with “Dukey” on the back. Boeser’s appearance came at about the same time reports surfaced that the Canucks had given Boeser’s agent permission to speak with other teams about a trade.
Just what kind of night would he have?
Canucks Scorers
1st Period
1-1 – Power Play – Bo Horvat (18), from Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, 16:49
Beautiful redirect by Horvat in the slot on a hard pass from ‘Petey’.
2nd Period
Nils Aman had his second goal of the season disallowed because the post was knocked off the pegs before he deposited the puck into the net at the 17:00 mark, although it was a Coyote who slid into the net.
3rd Period
2-2 – Even Strength – Brock Boeser (4) from Pettersson, 11:48
On a deflected feed from Petey, Boeser ripped a shot short-side from the left wing circle.
Overtime
3-2 – Power play (4 on 3) – Bo Horvat (19) from Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller, 4:09
Horvat with a deflection on the doorstep of a Hughes blast from the point.
— Kind of a “Cinderella Story”, to quote the movie “Caddyshack” – Boeser originally a scratch, gets to play, scores the game tying goal and his team wins on an emotional Hockey Fights Cancer night. It was a victory badly needed.
This, despite stretches where the Canucks lacked a certain semblance of break-out and forecheck. The key was the 2-for-8 on the power play for Vancouver, while Arizona went 1-for-3. Coincidentally, shots were 32-23 in favour of the home team.
Canucks 3 Stars:
1) Bo Horvat – Two goals including the game winner. Had seven shots and played 24:51.
2) Elias Pettersson – Two assists and back to being himself after an absent night, figuratively speaking, last game.
3) Quinn Hughes – Two assists and played a whopping 30:05.
