Horvat's two-goal outburst leads Canucks past Blues

[August 13, 2020]  Bo Horvat scored twice to lead the Vancouver Canucks past the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Wednesday to open their first-round Western Conference playoff series in Edmonton.

The teams will play Game 2 on Friday.

J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist, and Elias Pettersson and Troy Stecher also scored for the fifth-seeded Canucks. Tanner Pearson and Brock Boeser had two assists, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 29 of 31 shots.

Jaden Schwartz and David Perron scored for the fourth-seeded Blues, and Jordan Binnington made 17 saves.

The Canucks struck first with a power-play goal 4:29 into the game. Quinn Hughes set up Horvat, who buried a one-time shot from atop the left circle for his third goal of the postseason.
 

Perron tied the game 1-1 with 3:23 left in the first period as the Blues converted their first power play. He scored his third postseason goal by connecting on a one-time shot from high in the right circle.

The Canucks struck again on the power play to take a 2-1 lead in the second period. Boeser lost the puck while driving the net, but Pettersson stepped in from the right circle to pound it into the net.

Just 72 seconds later, Schwartz countered by chipping the puck up ice to himself and beating Markstrom on a clean breakaway to tie the game 2-2.

Pettersson hit the crossbar on another Canucks power play in the second period, but Stecher's slap shot from the right point put the Canucks ahead 5 1/2 minutes into the third period.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) makes a save as Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat (53) tries to score during the first period in game one of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Horvat made it 4-2 by dancing around Blues defenseman Vince Dunn and beating Binnington with a snap shot off the rush at 8:01 of the middle period. Miller capped the scoring with 40 seconds left on still another Canucks power play.

The Canucks were missing wingers Micheal Ferland and Tyler Toffoli, who remain unfit to play. The Blues played without checking line forwards Alexander Steen (undisclosed injury) and Ivan Barbashev (paternity leave) along with third-line winger Sammy Blais (lower-body injury)

--Field Level Media

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