VANCOUVER – After two road victories earlier in the week, the Vancouver Canucks kept their hopes of a slim play-off alive with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Jason Dickinson, Connor Garland, Alex Chiasson and Luke Shane scored for Vancouver. Thomas Hartl and Nick Bonino answered for San Jose (29-33-9).
Thatcher made 34 saves for Demco Canucks (35-28-10), reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in his career. In the Sharks net, Capo Kahkonen made 35 saves, but his record has fallen to 0-3-0 since the acquisition from Minnesota Wild on the March 21 trade deadline.
There were plenty of power-play opportunities for both sides in the game, but after their last two games went from man-advantage to -5 for 4, Vancouver was -7 for 0 on Saturday. Hartel’s goal in the first period during the two-man advantage went to -5 for San Jose 1.
Vancouver started scoring just 2:03 in the first period. Dickinson intercepted an incorrect pass from shark defender Ryan Markley near the center ice, then descended with the right wing, decked Kahkonen and put the puck behind the net. This is his fourth goal of the year and his first since returning to action earlier this week, after missing 16 games with a lower body injury.
At 7:34, Hartle tied the score at 5-on-3 with the Sharks. He hit Timo Meyer’s shot rebound from near Demco for his 28th goal of the year.
The Canucks score 2-1 at 4:49 in the second period. Alex Chiasson made a push into the defensive zone. Connor Garland received the pass during a full flight from the left wing, then defeated Kahkonen Hike on the blocker side in his 15th game of the year and scored the first goal in 20 games.
With 1:23 left to go in the middle frame, Nick Bonino tactfully deflected a Brent Burns point shot from deep in the slot, bypassing Demco for his third goal in four games and the 11th match of the year.
In just 3:15 minutes, third, Alex Chiasson knocked the Canucks behind, tipping the pass from Harvat near Kahkonen. The goal was his third in two games and second on the night and gave him and Harvard six points in the last three games.
The Sharks dragged their goal 2:11 game left. After a pair of Vancouver icing plays, the Sharks created several good scoring opportunities, before Tyler Myers was called in to cross-check with 39.3 seconds left in the rule but the Canucks held the fort, Shane hit an empty net with one second left. Clock.
With the win, Canucks moved four points from the second wild-card spot in the NHL’s Western Conference. They are four points behind both the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knight.
Comments: Saturday, January 18, 2020 marks the first visit of the Sharks to Rogers Arena since. With the win, Vancouver swept their three-game season series against the San Jose … Defender Queen Hughes returns to the Vancouver lineup after missing two matches due to illness … Both teams have lined up 11 forwards and seven defenders; Brad Hunt has skated as a Vancouver forward, and Radek Simek for San Jose … Doug Wilson has announced on Thursday that there are sharks in search of a new general manager because of a medical problem … Saturday’s game is the first of five game homesteads for Vancouver. Was; Starts a five-game road trip to San Jose … The Canucks community celebrates Heroes Night.