CALGARY B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·” Alex Edler scored 3:06 into overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night
In a back-and-forth overtime, Edler one-timed a pass from Brock Boeser that just dribbled through the pads of David Rittich.
Boeser and Elias Pettersson also scored for Vancouver (19-18-4).
The Canucks, 5-0-1 in their last six on the road, have four points through the first two stops of their six-game road trip while the world junior hockey championship takes place in Vancouver
Mark Jankowski and Travis Hamonic scored shorthanded goals for Calgary (23-12-4). The Flames remain in first place in the Pacific Division, one point up on San Jose. The Sharks visit the Saddledome on New YearB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s Eve.
Tonight's overtime hero, Alex Edler. 🚨🦅🚨
B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·” Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Vancouver tied the game 2-2 at 11:37 of the second when Pettersson broke down the right side and whipped a 40-foot wrist shot past Rittich.
The Flames took their first lead of the night 8:46 into the second when Hamonic, on a two-on-one, chose to hang onto the puck and fired his third goal of the season past Jacob Markstrom.
It was CalgaryB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s league-leading 12th shorthanded goal, moving them one ahead of the Arizona Coyotes.
The Flames tied the game 1-1 at 14:30 of the first. Noah Hanifin broke in alone and while he was stopped by Markstrom, Jankowski shovelled in the rebound.
Jankowski, who also assisted on HamonicB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s goal, is tied with ArizonaB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s Michael Grabner for the league lead in both shorthanded goals (four) and points (six).
Vancouver opened the scoring on the power play at 5:08. With Johnny Gaudreau off for slashing, Boeser sent a 25-foot wrist shot past Rittich, who was screened by Bo Horvat and didnB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™t appear to see it.
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The CanucksB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™ improved penalty killing played a key role in the victory, going five-for-five, including a 54-second two-man advantage. Vancouver had gone nine straight games without surrendering a power-play goal before allowing two in ThursdayB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Flames power play, which has cooled off lately, is just 1-for-18 in the last five games.
With a 31-save performance, Markstrom improved to 8-1-0 in his last nine starts. HeB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s 16-10-3 on the season.
Rittich, starting over veteran Mike Smith for the sixth time in the last seven games, made 24 stops. He is 12-4-3.
NOTES: LW Sven Baertschi (concussion, 30 games) and D Troy Stecher (concussion, 3 games) returned for the Canucks B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·¦ Rookie LW Dillon Dube, recalled earlier in the day from Stockton (AHL), dressed for the Flames, taking the spot of veteran LW Michael Frolik, who was a healthy scratch B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·¦ CalgaryB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s Mark Giordano played career game No. 792, moving ahead of Theoren Fleury and into sole possession of fourth in franchise history.
THE CANADIAN PRESS