Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat both scored twice in three-point games while Loui Eriksson collected one goal and three assists as the host Vancouver Canucks earned their third consecutive win, a wacky 7-4 decision over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Goalie Jacob Markstrom needed to make only 21 saves for Vancouver (32-32-10, 74 points), which is on a 4-0-1 run and four points out of a playoff spot with eight games remaining in the regular season.
The Canucks staked themselves to a 5-0 lead and then ended up hanging on for the win. The Senators cut the deficit to 5-4 with 1:59 remaining in the game before Vancouver produced two late goals.
Horvat opened the scoring on the power play 14:06 into the affair by deflecting Alex Edler's point shot. Pearson then batted a puck out of the air and into the net 32 seconds into the second period to double the lead.
Jake Virtanen made it a 3-0 game just before the six-minute mark of the middle frame when he ripped home a wrist shot while on a two-on-one rush. Vancouver's Brock Boeser tallied with three minutes remaining in the middle frame to extend his point-scoring streak to a career-high eight games -- in which he's collected three goals and six assists.
After Pearson netted his second of the night by redirecting Horvat's feed 57 seconds into the third period, the hosts eased up and nearly paid for it.
Max Veronneau, the prized product of Princeton University who signed with the Senators on March 12, put Ottawa on the board with his first career goal at 8:54 of the final frame. He was playing in his third NHL game.
Brady Tkachuk netted the 17th goal of his rookie season 65 seconds later, and then Oscar Lindberg made it a 5-3 game with 6:18 remaining in the affair.
The Sens weren't done. Anthony Duclair's power-play goal with 1:59 on the clock made it a one-goal game.
However, Horvat's deflection goal with 67 seconds remaining and then Eriksson's empty-netter 27 seconds later rounded out the scoring.
Anders Nilsson stopped 33 shots for Ottawa (25-42-6, 56 points).
--Field Level Media
Ottawa | Vancouver | |
Dylan Demelo 3 | Points | Loui Eriksson 4 |
Anthony Duclair 1 | Goals | Bo Horvat 2 |
Dylan Demelo 3 | Assists | Loui Eriksson 3 |
Anthony Duclair 1 | Power Play Goals | Bo Horvat 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Anders Nilsson .846 | Save Percentage | Jacob Markstrom .840 |
Anders Nilsson 33 | Saves | Jacob Markstrom 21 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Ottawa | 25 | 4 | 1-1 | 1-3 | 6 | 23 |
Vancouver | 40 | 7 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2 | 35 |