Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first game of the season as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 at Honda Center on Wednesday.
Max Sasson scored the go-ahead goal with just over four minutes left in regulation and also recorded an assist. Evander Kane contributed a goal for Vancouver, which had previously lost three straight games and six of its last seven. Filip Hronek and Tom Willander each added two assists.
For Anaheim, Jackson LaCombe registered a goal and two assists, while Cutter Gauthier finished with a goal and an assist. Goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped 23 shots for the Ducks, who entered the contest having won three of their previous four games.
Hronek’s shot from the right point was deflected by Sasson before bouncing off Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson to give Vancouver a 4-3 lead late in the third period. Drew O’Connor then scored into an empty net with under two minutes remaining to extend Vancouver’s advantage to 5-3. Gauthier responded for Anaheim with seven seconds left, setting the final score at 5-4.
The Canucks opened scoring when Linus Karlsson found the net midway through the first period after capitalizing on a rebound off the end boards. Kane increased Vancouver’s lead to 2-0 during a power play with a wrist shot from above the left circle.
LaCombe brought Anaheim within one early in the second period by scoring on a power play that carried over from the first frame. Despite being outshot significantly at that stage, Conor Garland put Vancouver ahead 3-1 by driving to the net and finishing with a backhand.
Leo Carlsson narrowed it to 3-2 moments later by converting on his own rebound shortly after another power play opportunity ended. Mason McTavish tied it up late in the second period following a pass from Beckett Sennecke during a two-on-one rush.
