The Canucks lost the first two games of their five-game road trip coming off the two-week NHL break for the Four Nations Face-off.
After losing in Vegas 3-1 to the Golden Knights on Saturday, Vancouver sputtered late in the game in Salt Lake City, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Utah Hockey Club.
Vancouver’s Jake DeBrusk (21st goal) opened the scoring on the power play at 1:43 of the 2nd period, only to see Logan Cooley (16) tie things up for UHC at even strength just 2:08 later.
DeBrusk also opened the scoring on Saturday, notching Vancouver’s lone goal. In that match, goalie Kevin Lankinen suffered the loss for Vancouver.
Sunday, it was Arturs Silovs in net, called up to replace often injured Thatcher Demko in the tandem. He was busy; Utah outshot Vancouver 32-15.
Play continued tied 1-1 through much of a vigorous 3rd period, with Canucks centre Elias Pettersson getting a golden chance to put his club ahead on a short breakaway with just more than nine minutes remaining. ‘Petey’ fired his shot over the net from close range.
Two minutes later Josh Doan almost scored for Utah. His deke found its way through Silovs’s legs but the puck slid off the turning goalie pads and ended up outside his right post.
UHC would get another chance moments later when Vancouver D-man Derek Forbort went off for holding. Dylan Guenther would deflect home the game winning power play goal at 14:07.
Both teams went 1-for-4 with the man advantage. Vancouver is now 1-and-5 in the second half of back-to-back games this season.
Utah moved to within four points of Vancouver and the 2nd wild card spot in the Western Conference standings.
