The Vancouver Canucks became the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit in the final minute of a game — per the team’s official Twitter account — to stun the host Dallas Stars 6-5 in overtime on Tuesday night.
After Pius Suter recorded two of Vancouver’s three goals in the final minute to cap a five-goal third period, Kiefer Sherwood scored with 1:16 left in overtime.
Vancouver (36-29-13, 85 points) trailed 3-0 through two periods, but just 16 seconds into the final period, Jake DeBrusk banked the puck off the foot of Dallas goaltender Casey DeSmith (26 saves) and in for a power-play goal.
Then amid a four-minute Vancouver power play on Mason Marchment’s high-sticking double-minor penalty, Victor Mancini got the Canucks within a goal via a successful drive through net-front traffic with 15:21 remaining in regulation.
Mavrik Bourque’s goal with 2:45 left in the third and Mikael Granlund’s empty-netter for Dallas seemingly ended the threat, but the visitors were not down despite a 5-2 hole.
Aatu Raty scored with a minute left in regulation. With goaltender Thatcher Demko (23 saves) on the bench, Suter scored from up close with 29.1 seconds remaining. Suter scored again with 5.9 left to tie the contest and stun the Stars’ faithful.
Sherwood then converted the winner from the slot off a Conor Garland pass to keep the Canucks’ slim playoff hopes alive. With four games left, the Canucks are six points behind the Minnesota Wild, who hold the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
Mikko Rantanen, Marchment and Matt Duchene each had a power-play goal for the Stars (50-22-6, 106 points), who have lost three straight for the first time this season and remained four points behind the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division. Both the Stars and Jets have four games remaining.
Dallas opened the scoring with 6:12 left in the first period. On the power play, Wyatt Johnston found Rantanen open in the circle to one-time the puck past a late-reacting Demko.
The Stars made it 2-for-2 on the power play, converting with 1:58 left in the opening frame. Jamie Benn, from behind the end line, hit Marchment, who converted the up-close one-timer for a 2-0 lead.
Dallas’ power-play prowess continued at 7:28 into the second period. With Benn providing another feed, Duchene beat an out-of-position Demko from the low slot to put the Stars up 3-0.
Garland had three assists for Vancouver. Granlund added two assists for Dallas.
