The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake
VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa ended a wild game with a crazy goal.
Bieksa scored his second goal of the game 2:15 into overtime, and the Canucks recovered from blowing a pair of two-goal leads to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-4 at Rogers Arena on Sunday night.
Bieksa was stopped by Mike Smith after Brad Richardson sent him in alone from the slot, but somehow managed to chip the rebound up and in as he was knocked flying through the air over Smith.
Coyotes captain Shane Doan tied the game on a breakaway 5:24 into the third period, and Antoine Vermette only needed one shot to score the other three goals– one at even strength, one shorthanded and one on the power play – to help Phoenix earn a valuable point.
The Coyotes pulled within three points of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild card berth in the Western Conference, and trails Vancouver by five points. Phoenix has played one fewer game than the Canucks, and two less than the Wild.
Vancouver had only scored eight goals in its past seven games, and failed to score more than two in a game during that stretch. But they came in bunches Sunday, with Bieksa and Jannik Hansen scoring 44 seconds apart midway through the first period, and Chris Higgins and Zac Dalpe scoring 42 seconds apart late in the second.
It was a rough night for both Canadian Olympic goalies.
Smith finished with 20 saves, while Roberto Luongo stopped 29 for the Canucks, who have won three of four to move within one point of the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.
Despite the Canucks' scoring woes, the teams combined for three goals 62 seconds midway through the first period, and another three just two minutes and six seconds apart late in the second period.
Bieksa started the first binge right after another ineffective power play ended without a shot, beating a screened Smith low on the blocker side with a fluttering half-slap shot from the point 10:31 into the game.
Hansen doubled the lead 44 seconds later by one-timing a 3-on-2 pass into the slot from Ryan Kesler through Smith's legs, but the Coyotes got it back with a strange goal on the next shift.
David Moss sent Vermette alone in tight with a beautiful saucer pass from the blue line, but Vermette lost control of the puck as he tried to cut back to his right and it was heading wide of the net before Luongo reached back and knocked it in off the heel of his goal stick.
Phoenix had a goal called back 1:32 into the second period when a review ruled Kyle Chipchura used a distinct kicking motion to knock a rebound out of the air and past Luongo in a scramble.
But Vermette got even lucky again to tie it 2-2 midway through the period.
With Phoenix holding the Canucks without a shot for a third straight power play, Vermette was stopped on a 2-on-2 shorthanded rush and was trying to coral the rebound in the slot when a backchecking Kesler knocked it off his stick, over Luongo and into the net.
Vancouver regained the lead when Higgins deflected a Dan Hamhuis shot between the legs of Smith with 3:01 left in the second period, and Dalpe doubled it by banging in his own rebound on a 2-on-1 with defenseman Jason Garrison 42 seconds later. But Vermette pulled the Coyotes within one by lifting a power play rebound over Luongo with 55 seconds left in the period for his third career hat trick.
It was the second hat trick of the season for Vermette, who has five goals during a four-game point streak, three shorthanded goals in his past four games and six goals in the past six games.
Doan, who assisted on Vermette's third goal after banging a rebound through the crease, tied it 5:24 into the third period after being sent in alone by Mike Ribiero from the Vancouver blue line. Doan appeared to lose the puck as he tried to deke, but the puck rolled through Luongo's legs anyway.
The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake
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