Canucks outlast Blackhawks to win sixth straight

[January 03, 2020]  Adam Gaudette scored the game-winner while J.T. Miller collected four points as the Vancouver Canucks claimed their sixth straight win with a 7-5 home-ice victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

With overtime looming, Gaudette gained the puck near the boards, went to the slot and sent a wrist shot that found the mark with 4:11 left on the clock.

Bo Horvat rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal to cap a three-point game (two goals, one assist). Elias Pettersson also had three points (one goal, two assists) for the Canucks, who received a 28-save outing from goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

Both clubs blew leads before the second intermission in a see-saw affair. Miller opened the scoring when he capped off an excellent shift by the hosts by deflecting Horvat's long shot at the 5:04 mark of the first period, but Connor Murphy tied the game when he one-timed a loose puck from the right face-off dot exactly 14 minutes into the clash.

After Tanner Pearson deflected a shot to restore Vancouver's lead 2:48 into the second period, the Blackhawks scored three times four minutes apart to move ahead by a 4-2 count.

David Kampf's long wrist shot from the high slot evened the count at the 4:15 mark, after which Patrick Kane put the visitors ahead with a power-play goal -- a one-timer from the top of the right circle. Then Jonathan Toews put Chicago ahead by a 4-2 score when his cross-ice pass ricocheted off Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes at 8:17.

Canucks defenseman Christopher Tanev (8) defends against Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews (19) during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

However, the hosts responded to tie the score again. Hughes blasted a point shot for the power-play goal to make it a one-goal game at 10:20 of the period, and Pettersson scored 85 seconds later with a one-timer from the slot to make it a 4-4 game.

The roller coaster didn't end there. After Horvat put the Canucks ahead with a fortunate bounce 8:10 into the third period, Kane potted his second of the night -- a one-timer from below the right face-off circle -- with 6:16 remaining in regulation.

Lehner stopped 30 shots for the Blackhawks, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

--Field Level Media

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