Christopher Tanev's slap shot just 11 seconds into overtime gave the Vancouver Canucks a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night to win the best-of-five Western Conference qualifying round series in four games.
Tanev's snipe from just in front of the blue line zipped through traffic and beat Stalock stick side to give the Canucks their first postseason series win since 2013. This is the first time in five years that Vancouver has reached the playoffs.
Bo Horvat, left alone in front as he crashed the net, scored for Vancouver off a feed from Tanner Pearson with 5:46 left in regulation — the third tying goal of the game for the Canucks.
Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise (11) is stopped by Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey qualifying round game, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason FransonThe Canadian Press via AP)
Pearson, Brandon Sutter and Quinn Hughes also scored as Vancouver kept attacking a Wild defense missing stalwart Ryan Suter and wore down goalie Alex Stalock to erase leads of 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3.
Luke Kunin, Eric Staal, Joel Eriksson Ek and Nico Sturm had the goals for the Wild, who squandered their two-goal advantage over a 3:05 span midway through the second period.
Sturm's first NHL goal gave the Wild the lead back with 52 seconds left before the second intermission, and the 25-year-old left wing's slick short-side shot that sneaked between Markstrom and the post nearly held up as the winner.
Minnesota Wild goalie Alex Stalock (32) makes the save on Vancouver Canucks' Brandon Sutter (20) as Wild's Jared Spurgeon (46) defends during the third period of an NHL hockey qualifying round game, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason FransonThe Canadian Press via AP)
Sturm, who has played in only eight regular season games in the NHL and was a healthy scratch for Games 1 and 2, replaced Ryan Donato on the fourth line for Game 3.
Assigned to the early slot in Edmonton on Thursday, the two teams were back in the late-night window they'd been in for the first two games. The puck didn't drop until 9:01 p.m., about 8 1/2 hours later than for Game 3.
UP NEXT
The Canucks advance to the first round and will face either Dallas or St. Louis in a best-of-seven series next week. Calgary, Arizona and Chicago have also qualified. Colorado and Vegas will each be one of the top two seeds.
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Kevin Fiala scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on Thursday night.
The Wild locked up the second spot in the Central Division and will face the third-place St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota lost all three games against St. Louis this season, including two in overtime.
Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and two assists for the Wild, who also got goals from Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman.
Vancouver Canucks right winger Alex Chiasson, left, tries to get the puck past Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman, right, and goalie Cam Talbot during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP PhotoCraig Lassig)
Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks and Matthew Highmore had Vancouver's other goal.
Cam Talbot made 21 saves for the Wild to earn his 200th win. Thatcher Demko stopped 25 shots for Vancouver.
Fiala’s second goal of the night and 32nd of the season broke a 3-3 tie with 7:43 remaining in the third period. The forward circled the zone and skated from behind the net, firing a wrap-around shot that beat Demko.
Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, right, tries to steal the puck from Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP PhotoCraig Lassig)
Fiala has 16 points during his current eight-game point streak.
A scoreless first period was followed by a flurry of activity in the six-goal second. Fiala opened the scoring at 4:53. Pettersson tied it less than a minute later.
The teams again traded goals a bit later in the first. Spurgeon fired a shot that found its way through traffic to put Minnesota up 2-1. Highmore then capitalized on a turnover by Spurgeon and beat Talbot to tie it.
Blood drips onto the ice from the face of Vancouver Canucks right wing Brad Richardson (13) after he was high-sticked by Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, who was penalized during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (Aaron LavinskyStar Tribune via AP)
Vancouver took its first lead on Pettersson’s second goal of the night and 31st of the season. He rebounded a shot by by Conor Garland and snuck it past Talbot.
Zuccarello tied the game 2 1/2 minutes later as he took a pass from Kaprizov and beat Demko. Kaprizov’s assist came after the star forward took a big hit from Luke Schenn earlier in the period.
Kapirzov scored late in the third, his 44th goal of the season. Hartman added an empty-netter, his 32nd.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton, center, clears Vancouver Canucks right winger Conor Garland from in front of Wild goalie Cam Talbot during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP PhotoCraig Lassig)
NOTES: Pettersson became the third Canucks player with 30 goals this season, joining Bo Horvat (31) and J.T. Miller (30). It’s the first time since 1995-96 that three Vancouver players topped 30. ... Wild defenseman Dmitry Kulikov played in his 800th game. The 31-year-old has 23 points in 75 games this season. ... Spurgeon has 39 points, a career high.
UP NEXT
Canucks: At Calgary on Saturday.
Minnesota Wild left wing Kevin Fiala, right, celebrates his goal as Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers skates away during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP PhotoCraig Lassig)
Wild: Host Seattle on Friday.
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Vancouver Canucks center Matthew Highmore (15) celebrates after scoring against Minnesota Wild goalie Cam Talbot (33), as Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 21, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP PhotoCraig Lassig)
