Canucks Use Quick Strike Offense to Beat Flames 3-1 – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

In their first game since opening night, the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames met in a Pacific Division battle on Tuesday night. The Canucks were looking to bounce back from a 7-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday while the Flames played their second straight game after beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Monday. In the end, the Canucks got another strong effort from Elias Pettersson, who finished with a goal and an assist on his 26th birthday, defeating the Flames 3-1. JT Miller and Erik Brannstrom also finished with multi-point games, while Jonathan Lekkerimaki picked up his first NHL win, logging 14:07 of ice time and two shots on goal.

Recap of the game

The first half was back and forth with both teams getting chances to open the scoring. It remained scoreless until the final minute when Justin Kirkland scored his second of the season. The first one ended with the Flames scoring 1-0 and the Canucks beating them 12-9.

The second was opened by the Canucks on the power play after Daniil Miromanov had a penalty kick at the end of the first. They wasted no time capitalizing as Miller fed Pettersson near the net who dribbled past Dan Vladar for the second time in two games. Soon after, Miller was at it again, this time passing it to Pius Suter for his sixth goal of the season, tied with the injured Brock Boeser for the team lead. Nothing else happened during the rest of the period, the Canucks entered the third with a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard and a 26-16 shot clock advantage.

The Canucks added another goal in the final frame to make it a 3-1 final when Brannstrom hit his first home run of the season, and his first in a Canucks uniform after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the season. Kevin Lankinen bounced back from a poor effort against the Oilers to push his record to 8-1-2 with 27 saves in the win, while Vladar lost his third straight to fall to 2-3-1, 29 out of 32.

Next up for the Canucks & Flames

The Canucks will continue their six-game homestand on Thursday when former captain Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders come to town. The Flames, meanwhile, return to Calgary to begin a four-game homestand against the Nashville Predators on Friday.