National Hockey League
Vancouver 4, Colorado 2
When: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 5, 2023
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Referees: Michael Markovic, Garrett Rank
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey, Andrew Smith
Attendance: 18706

Andrei Kuzmenko scored twice as the host Vancouver Canucks erased a two-goal deficit en route to a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller also scored for the Canucks, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Vancouver goaltender Collin Delia made 30 saves, while Elias Pettersson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Ilya Mikheyev each collected two assists.

Mikko Rantanen and Samuel Girard scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, who have lost a season-worst five straight (0-4-1). Alexandar Georgiev stopped 39 shots.

Despite trailing 2-0 midway through the affair, the Canucks roared back starting with the two Kuzmenko goals 1:59 apart to tie the score.

Kuzmenko put Vancouver on the board by lifting a nifty backhand from in close for a power-play goal at 13:15 of the second period.

He followed it up by netting his second of the night, and 17th of the season, when he crashed the net and pushed home a loose puck.

Buoyed with the momentum, the Canucks took the lead 34 seconds later when Boeser netted his seventh of the season by taking advantage of an egregious turnover that led to a scramble he concluded.

Vancouver's lead was well-deserved, as they hosts outshot the Avalanche 11-0 in the last eight minutes of the second period, completely turning the tables.

Miller's empty-net goal with 96 seconds remaining in regulation, his 14th tally of the season, rounded out the scoring. Not long before, Delia denied Colorado's Darren Helm on a partial breakaway that could have tied the clash.

Rantanen netted his 26th goal of the season to open the scoring with one minute remaining in the opening frame. Given time from beyond the right circle, he rang a wrist shot from off the far post and in for the power-play marker.

Girard doubled the Colorado lead 1:49 into the second period with his third of the season, a long point shot that found the spot with Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn screening his own goalie.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Colorado   Vancouver
Samuel Girard 1 Points Andrei Kuzmenko 2
Samuel Girard 1 Goals Andrei Kuzmenko 2
Andreas Englund 1 Assists Oliver Ekman-Larsson 2
Mikko Rantanen 1 Power Play Goals Andrei Kuzmenko 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Alexandar Georgiev .929 Save Percentage Collin Delia .938
Alexandar Georgiev 39 Saves Collin Delia 30
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Colorado 32 2 1-5 6-7 24 28
Vancouver 43 4 1-7 4-5 10 38
Upcoming Games
  • Vancouver will play their next game on the road against Winnipeg. The Canucks have a W/L % of .471 after a win and .429 after a loss.
  • Colorado will play their next game on the road against Edmonton. The Avalanche have a W/L % of .550 after a win and .471 after a loss.