In Ottawa, the visiting Vancouver Canucks needed to flex their abilities in the skills portion of the evening’s affair with the Senators.
After blowing a two-goal lead, the Canucks defeated the Sens, 3-2 on penalties.
Thatcher Demko made 30 saves in his continued hot streak, he is 7-1-0 in his last eight starts.
“This is obviously a good stretch, not only for myself, but for the team,” Demko said. “I knew that I had some good games in me, and I knew that obviously we didn’t have a great start to the year, so we had to start getting wins and getting them quick.”
Adam Gaudette was credited with the game-deciding goal in the skills competition.
“I have to give credit to [goaltending coach Ian Clark], who gave me a couple of shootout ideas last year, and I’ve been working on them,” Gaudette said.
After the Canucks took a 2-0 lead, the Senators’ Ryan Dzingel scored in the middle frame, and Josh Norris tied the game at 2-2 with a strike early in the third period.
Bo Horvat gave the Canucks the 2-0 lead with his goal in the first period.
Brock Boeser scored early in the opening frame to get the Canucks on the board.
“He’s a tremendous goalie and he’s been big for us as of late,” Vancouver forward Brock Boeser said of Demko. “He competes hard every night, and that’s someone you need. He’s been a leader for our team.”
The Canucks claimed Jimmy Vesey, off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“We wanted him to play,” Canucks head coach Travis Green said. “A lot of hands on deck, trying to get him in. (Senior director of hockey operations) Jonathan Wall was working all day to try to get his work permit changed over, but they couldn’t get it done in time.”
Joey Daccord got the start for the Senators and yielded both Vancouver goals. He left the game early in the third period with an injury.
“It says a lot,” Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot said of the Senators rallying efforts. “Like I said the other day, we show a lot of character and we don’t give up on any games and we play until the end.”
Filip Gustavsson made eight saves in his NHL debut.
“He (Gustavsson) came in and gave us a chance,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said of. “That’s all you can ask for from a goalie, to give you a chance to win. I thought Joey [Daccord] did that, then [Gustavsson] came in cold, and he had not been playing. And to make the saves he was making in the shootout, he was good.”
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