Kuzmenko’s overtime goal gives Canucks 5-4 win over Stars
By The Associated Press on February 27, 2023.
DALLAS (AP) – Andrei Kuzmenko scored 48 seconds into overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. The play was reviewed for being offside and was allowed. Anthony Beauvillier backed into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick. Beauvillier scored two goals and Sheldon Dries and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Canucks. Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko, playing for the first time since Dec. 1, stopped 34 shots. Demko missed the previous 35 games with a lower-body injury. Jamie Benn, Roope Hintz, Nils Lundkvist and Evgenii Dadonov scored for Dallas, the latter in his Stars debut after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. Benn also had an assist. Jake Oettinger made 16 saves for the Stars, who have a franchise-record 10 overtime losses this season in 12 overtime games. Beauvillier rammed home a rebound following a wrist shot by Kuzmenko for the game’s first goal 3:27 in. The first of two first-period Vancouver power plays midway through the first period produced both a short-handed goal by Benn on a breakaway and Dries’ tip-in 23 seconds later that put the Canucks back ahead 2-1. Podkolzin’s goal at 15:03 after skating through traffic in the slot gave Vancouver a 3-1 first-period lead against Oettinger. Dadonov converted on a breakaway at 4:33 of the second period pulling Dallas within 3-2. Beauvillier’s second goal midway through the second period restored Vancouver’s two-goal lead only to see Hintz score on the power play at 17:46 of the second slicing the lead to 4-3. Lundkvist tied the score 4-4 early in the third period, scoring from the high slot. Beauvillier has six goals and 10 points in 11 games since being acquired from the New York Islanders on Jan. 30 for Bo Horvat. Kuzmenko had two assists and Quinn Hughes chipped in with three. NOTES The Canucks acquired F Josh Bloom on Monday from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for D Riley Stillman. “¦ F Vitali Kravtsov made his Canucks debut after Saturday’s trade from the New York Rangers. “¦ Vancouver has allowed a league-high 11 short-handed goals this season. “¦ Stars D Esa Lindell played his 500th career NHL game while Canucks F Conor Garland appeared in his 300th. UP NEXT Canucks: Begin a season-long six-game homestand on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Stars: Host the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday to begin a back-to-back. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 22-21
