Jakub Vrana's 2nd of night gives Blues OT win over Canucks

[March 29, 2023]   Jakub Vrana scored twice, including the overtime winner, as the host St. Louis Blues edged the Vancouver Canucks 6-5 on Tuesday.
 
Justin Faulk had a goal and two assists and Pavel Buchnevich added a goal and an assist for the Blues (34-34-6, 74 points).

Mar 28, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko (13) reacts after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Alexey Toropchenko and Robert Thomas also scored, Brandon Saad and Sammy Blais had two assists, and Jordan Binnington made 32 saves as St. Louis won for the fifth time in seven games (5-1-1).

Quinn Hughes logged two goals and an assist and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored twice for the Canucks (34-34-6, 74 points). Brock Boeser had a goal and two assists.

J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson had two assists apiece and Thatcher Demko made 25 saves as Vancouver took just its third loss in 13 games (10-2-1).

Vrana decided the game 21 seconds into overtime with a point-blank shot off Brayden Schenn's pass.

With 7:42 left in the third, Kuzmenko left cut the Blues' lead to 5-4 by cutting to the slot and scoring off Pettersson's deft pass.

With Demko pulled for an extra attacker, the Canucks tied the game with 53 seconds remaining on Hughes' shot from the blue line through traffic.

The Canucks grabbed a 1-0 lead 6:06 into the game. Boeser fired a shot from the left circle, and Hughes converted the weak-side rebound.

Toropchenko tied the game 1-1 by stealing a pass and creating a two-on-one break that he finished with 8:10 left in the first period.

Faulk put the Blues up 2-1 with 3:12 in the opening period with a one-time blast from the left faceoff dot.

Vancouver tied the game with 19 seconds left in the period on a power play. Kuzmenko drove toward the net front and punched in Miller's centering pass.

The Blues took a 3-2 lead at 7:24 of the second period when Saad set up Vrana's goal from the slot.

Thomas made it 4-2 on a power-play snap shot from the top of the right circle. Then Buchnevich made it 5-2 by redirecting in Kasperi Kapanen's pass with 6:24 left in the period.

Vancouver cut the deficit to 5-3 with another power-play goal. Hughes shot from the center point and Boeser deflected it in.

--Field Level Media

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