DeBrusk scores only goal of shootout to lift Canucks over Predators 4-3

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks scored a pair of third-period goals to erase a two-goal deficit then got a shootout goal from Jake DeBrusk to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.

The Canucks trailed 3-1 after two periods, but Marco Rossi scored with 4:05 to play to make it 3-2 and Filip Hronek tied it at 3-all with 1:01 left in regulation.

Brock Boeser also scored in regulation for Vancouver.

Tyson Jost scored twice for Nashville, and rookie Matthew Wood added a goal.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 16 shots for Vancouver.

The Canucks opened the scoring at 8:40, when the double-tip of Hronek's point shot — first Marco Rossi and then Boeser — beat Saros. But the teams went to the dressing room tied 1-1 after Justin Barron snapped up a turnover by Tolopilo before Jost scored on the rebound.

In the second, Jost gave the visitors their first lead of the night, corralling the puck after Roman Josi's blast from the blue line went wide of the net, then depositing it past Tolopilo. Wood followed, his centering pass deflecting into the net off the skate of Canucks forward Liam Ohgren.

Rossi snapped a rebound past Saros and with Tolopilo on the bench, Hronek sent the game to overtime.

DeBrusk scored the only goal of the shootout as Tolopilo stopped all three shooters he faced.

Boeser’s goal was his 16th of the year, and fourth in five games. Evander Kane returned to the lineup after missing one game while dealing with upper-body discomfort.

With 17 games remaining, the Predators remain locked in a race for a wild-card spot with three other Western Conference teams. Saros became the second NHL goalie to reach 50 starts this season. Wood has four goals in his last four games.

Predators: At Edmonton on Sunday.

Canucks: Host Seattle on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson (25) skates with the puck as Nashville Predators' Erik Haula (56) watches during the second period of an NHL game in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Steven Stamkos (91) and Vancouver Canucks' Marcus Pettersson (29) vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL game in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Tyson Jost (17) celebrates his goal as Vancouver Canucks' Curtis Douglas (42) watches and goaltender Nikita Tolopilo (60) looks to the net during the first period of an NHL game in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Zachary L'heureux (68) and Luke Evangelista (77) watch as Vancouver Canucks' Liam Ohgren (92) tips in the puck from Nashville's Matthew Wood, not seen, past Vancouver goaltender Nikita Tolopilo (60) during the second period of an NHL game in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 Conference is ditching its slippery new glass floor for a hardwood court for the final two days of the tournament.

“After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Thursday night. "We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game.”

There were numerous instances where players appeared to slip, even slightly, when trying to plant. On Thursday, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson strained a muscle slipping in the No. 16 Red Raiders' 75-63 loss to No. 7 Iowa State.

The Big 12 announced last month that it would play the men’s and women’s tournaments on the surface, which is produced by ASB GlassFloor and has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe but never before during an official competition in the United States.

“I personally didn’t have any involvement (in the decision to go to hardwood),” Kansas coach Bill Self after his No. 14 Jayhawks beat TCU 78-73 on Thursday night in the last game played on the glass floor. “If the other coaches are doing it, (they) have juice and they got more than I got. Because I didn’t have any any involvement with that at all.”

Then he added, “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Rather than traditional wood, the floor has an aluminum and steel spring-action design that is supposed to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. The LED panels, which allow the league to display everything from data-driven graphics to advertising, have ceramic coating and little dots etched into the glass that are supposed to create grip that is consistent with traditional surfaces.

The ball seems to bounce like usual, though with a different “thudding” sound. There are a whole lot more squeaks from sneakers than usual. But the biggest difference has been the traction: Numerous players have slipped when they might not otherwise.

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TCU guard Jayden Pierre (1) shoots under pressure from Kansas guards Jamari McDowell (11) and Tre White (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

FILE - Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addresses the media during the NCAA college Big 12 women's basketball media day, Oct. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)