Vancouver Canucks' Jake DeBrusk (74) celebrates his game winning goal against the Calgary Flames, with Elias Pettersson (40) during overtime NHL pre-season hockey action in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday Sept. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game 58 seconds into overtime as the Vancouver Canucks battled back from a late deficit to defeat the Calgary Flames 4-3 in an NHL exhibition game Wednesday night.
DeBrusk scored the winner on a tick-tack-toe play with Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes at Abbotsford Centre.
Vancouver’s Daniel Sprong had forced the extra period, scoring a power-play goal with 14.3 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Flames had taken a lead with third-period goals from Dryden Hunt and Samuel Honzek.
Defenceman Jake Bean also scored for Calgary (3-1-0).
Max Sasson scored with 22.5 seconds left in the first period and DeBrusk struck with 34 seconds remaining in the second for the Canucks (2-0-0).
The Flames were clinging to the 3-2 lead in the final minute of the third when Martin Pospisil was called for putting the puck over the glass, giving Vancouver a six-on-four power play for 35.5 seconds.
Goaltender Jiri Patera stopped 16 shots in his Canucks debut. The former Vegas Golden Knights netminder recently signed a two-year, two-way deal in Vancouver.
Calgary goalie Dustin Wolf played two periods, stopping 17 of 19 shots. Devin Cooley saved 11 of 13 shots after entering the game in the third period.
Hunt gave the Flames the lead at 15:04 of the third on a breakaway. Forward Andrew Basha hit him in full stride and slipped the puck past Patera.
Honzek had tied the game 2-2 at 10:08. A Pospisil pass put Honzek behind the Canucks defence and he beat Patera backdoor.
DeBrusk, the former Boston Bruin who signed as a free agent with Vancouver this summer, gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead heading into the final period.
Former Edmonton Oiler defenceman Vincent Desharnais, another free agent signing, sailed a puck high toward the net that DeBrusk batted out of the air past Wolf. Hughes also earned an assist.
Bean, a former Columbus Blue Jacket who signed as a free agent with Calgary in July, tied the game 1-1 at 3:43 of the second. With the teams playing four-on-four, the Calgary native rifled a shot that beat Patera on the glove side. Justin Kirkland and Tyson Barrie earned assists.
Patera made a big save a few minutes later. With the Flames on the power play, Calgary’s Matvei Gridin was left alone in front of the net but Patera gloved his shot.
Sasson, who has played 63 games with Vancouver’s AHL Canucks, opened the scoring. He took a long pass from Kiefer Sherwood, then sent a centring pass in front of the net which appeared to bounce off Wolf and slide into the net.
Wolf was the busier of the goaltenders in the first period, stopping good shots from Arshdeep Bains and Phillip Di Giuseppe.
Patera was tested early in the first period when he stopped Calgary left-winger Dryden Hunt on a breakaway.
NOTES
Both teams have a tie to the Abbotsford Center. The Canucks AHL team has played there since the 2021-22 season. The Abbotsford Heat, Calgary’s AHL team, called the building home from 2009 to 2014. … The Canucks had six players in the lineup Wednesday that played in their 3-1 win over Seattle Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Vancouver: The Canucks play in Seattle Friday.
Calgary: The Flames host the Canucks in a rematch on Saturday.
– By Jim Morris in Vancouver.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
