Canucks use five-goal third to down Ducks, 8-5

In Vancouver, a perfectly decent game through two periods of play devolved into a offensive outburst, or a defensive collapse by the Canucks and Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

The Ducks scored three times in the final frame, the Canucks scored five.

Andrei Kuzmenko hit for his first career NHL hat trick for Vancouver, and the Canucks downed the Ducks, 8-5.

“It means that I began to feel really good here,” Kuzmenko said with translation help from Russian teammate Vasily Podkolzin. “I begin to get this game, the NHL rules, and just keep going.”

Spencer Martin made 26 saves in the Vancouver win,

“We’re never going to turn down a win; we don’t have enough of them,” Vancouver coach Bruce Boudreau said. “The offense was going well, but in the end, it’s going to take defense to win, and I thought we gave up too many chances.”

The Canucks held a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

Troy Terry gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead in the first period, but Bo Horvat scored the first of his two goals on the night to tie, 1-1.

The Canucks improved to 3-6-2.

“There’s definitely positives, but it’s tough to dwell on them in a game where you give up eight goals,” said Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras (goal and two points in the game.

Elias Pettersson and JT Miller pushed the Canucks in front, 3-1 in the middle frame.

“Great hands because there wasn’t much room to make that play and there wasn’t much room to put the puck in the net,” Boudreau said. “But he seems to have that innate ability to find those small areas and sees the ice so well.”

Ryan Strome connected just before the end of the period to get the Ducks back within one at 3-2.

Anaheim dropped to 3-7-1.

Vancouver took a 4-2 in the sixth minute of the third period off a strike form Dakota Joshua.

Kuzmenko scored his first on a power play to extend the advantage to 5-2.

“The turning point was our challenge that went against us,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “We wouldn’t challenge it unless we thought it was goalie interference. … Obviously, the League saw it differently and we live with their call.”

Anaheim rallied with two goals; Max Comtois and Zegras got them within 5-4.

“We’ve got to do a better job of limiting those grade-A chances,” Zegras said. “[Gibson] gives us a chance to win every night and I guess to have that kind of result [stinks] for us because of how big of a part of the team he is.”