Kuzmenko Plays Hero, Canucks beat Sharks in OT

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Last week, the Canucks blew another lead, and dropped a demoralizing game to the Vegas Golden Knights.  It seemed like Vancouver was destined for another year in the basement.  Then they went three for three on a road trip, and I don’t know how to feel anymore!

The road trip would start at Ball Arena in Denver, where the Canucks took on the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche.  Spencer Martin got the start between the pipes against the team that drafted him back in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry draft, and was instrumental in Vancouver’s 4-3 defeat of the Avs.  Two days later, Vancouver was in Las Vegas for a rematch with the same Golden Knights team that embarrassed them on home ice earlier in the week.  Vancouver responded with their most complete game of the season so far, as they were first on every puck, generated scoring chances, and were able to capitalize on them, as they skated to a 5-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena.  Spencer Martin was back between the pipes in that one, putting up another strong performance, including two great stops in the early parts of the first period, denying a pair of Vegas chances.

That sets the stage for what could have been perceived as a trap game for the Vancouver Canucks, as they squared off against the 7-12-4 San Jose Sharks.  That would’ve been classic Canucks hockey, overperform against two powerhouses before dropping the “easy one” to finish out the road trip, but that simply didn’t happen.  Thatcher Demko was back between the pipes for Vancouver for the first time since the Vegas debacle less than a week earlier at Rogers Arena.  Local Boy and fan favourite Kyle Burroughs got things going for the Canucks in the first period of play, rifling a shot from between the blue line and the top of the left faceoff circle, beating Kaapo Kahkonen low to the glove side to make it one to nothing for the visitors.  Bo Horvat and JT Miller registered the assists on the opening marker from Burroughs.

In the second period, it looked like the game would devolve into that “Classic Canucks Hockey” situation we discussed earlier.  Why? Listen to this score line.  Matt Benning, nephew of former Canucks General Manager and longtime media scapegoat Jim Benning, let go the shot from the far point, which was tipped by former Canuck Nick Bonino, into the back and shoulder of Sharks forward Luke Kunin, which sent the puck high into the air, achieving a picture perfect arch which sent the puck above Thatcher Demko’s shoulder and below the crossbar.  Canucks Hockey on Rogers Sportsnet. 

San Jose would take their first lead of the game early in the third period, as Sharks Captain Logan Couture let go a shot from the high slot, which changed direction via an attempted shot block from Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear, fooling Demko to make in 2-1.

Cue the heat to be turned on by THE LINE for the Canucks this season.  Andrey Kuzmenko, Elias Pettersson, and Ilya Mikayev.  There’s no better way to put this than to say that the Canucks went to work.  Pettersson and Mikheyev came in on a partial two on one, Petey took the shot which was stopped, Mikheyev threw the puck down low, where Pettersson like… warped to, and he tried a bank play off the back of the netminder, which Kahkonen stopped initially, but he couldn’t block Pettersson’s centering pass, as he found Mikheyev in the slot, he let it rip, and beat the goaltender.

The Canucks were not done there, as Elias Pettersson and the lads decided they wanted to do more damage.  After a great diving poke check from Ilya Mikheyev to get the puck back to the blue line and away from a Sharks defender, Oliver Ekman-Larsson let go a point shot, intentionally wide, right on to the tape of the Elias Pettersson, and Canucks Superstar made no mistake tipping it between the arm and the body of Kahkonen to give Vancouver their second lead of the night.

The Sharks would make it interesting, as they’d tie the game late.  Erik Karlsson dished a beautiful saucer pass through the goal mouth over a pair of Vancouver sticks right to Luke Kunin who beat Demko for his second goal of the night, and fifth of the season.  The final seconds would tick off the clock in the third period of play, and we were headed to Overtime.

On the Canucks radio broadcast on Sportsnet 650, Play by Play broadcaster Brendan Batchelor mentioned during the brief intermission that Vancouver had yet to pick up a victory in extra time so far this season, going zero for two in overtime and zero for one in the shootout.  This, apparently didn’t scare Andrey Kuzmenko and the Vancouver Canucks very much.  JT Miller reset things in his own zone, goading San Jose into an ill timed line change, which was eventually taken by Timo Mier, creating just a little bit of separation in the neutral zone, just enough room to launch a nasty stretch pass up for Andrey Kuzmenko who beamed it high to the glove side, beating Kaapo Kahkonen for his first overtime winner in his National Hockey League career, and his eleventh goal of the 22-23 campaign.

A perfect three for three on a short road trip could be exactly what the Canucks have needed.  After the victory over San Jose, Vancouver now sits just one point back of the St. Louis Blues for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.  The three game win streak, Vancouver’s first this season, could also be a catalyst for Coach Bruce Boudreau to keep his job, after frequently being thrown under the bus by Jim Rutherford and Canucks management, but after three wins on the road, and three BRUCE! There It Is chants from Canucks faithful in enemy territory during those games, it looks like Coach Boudreau is safe for now.

The Canucks return home to Vancouver this week for a four game homestand, beginning with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

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