Kuzmenko lifts Canucks to 3-2 win over Flames in SO
Vancouver Canucks' Andrei Kuzmenko celebrates his shootout goal against Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom during an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Andrei Kuzmenko scored in the shootout and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Saturday night.
Elias Pettersson and Cole McWard — with his first NHL point — scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 41 saves.
Elias Lindholm and Nazem Kadri put away third-period goals for the Flames to force extra time. Jacob Markstrom stopped 31 shots.
Calgary pulled one point behind Winnipeg for the second wild card in the Western Conference. The Flames have two games left on their regular-season schedule while the Jets have three.
In the tiebreaker, Kuzmenko skated wide of the Flames' net, then fired a shot up into the top corner to secure the win.
McWard scored his first NHL goal 9:03 into the game and Pettersson scored his 38th of the season on a short-handed breakaway a little more than four minutes later to put the Canucks up 2-0.
Vancouver now has 15 short-handed goals this season, including 13 since Rick Tocchet took over as head coach on Jan. 22.
Calgary Flames' Christopher Tanev (8), Noah Hanifin (55) and MacKenzie Weegar (52) wear their helmets backward before Tyler Toffoli took the team's final shot and failed to score against the Vancouver Canucks in an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
Lindholm got the Flames on the scoreboard 38 seconds into the third with his 22nd, and Kadri beat Demko for his 24th at 6:07 to tie the score.
UP NEXT
Flames: Host Nashville on Monday night to open a season-ending two-game homestand.
Canucks: At Los Angeles on Monday night to open a season-ending three-game trip.
