Jake DeBrusk scored with 18 seconds remaining in overtime as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 2-1 for their third win in four games. Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo, making his NHL debut, made 15 saves to earn his first career win.
Game Recap
Although the Canucks got the majority of the first-period scoring chances and outshot the Sharks 12-3, neither team scored in the opening 20 minutes. Each team received one power play in the period. The Vancouver penalty kill shut down the Sharks’ opportunity, while San Jose goalie Alexandar Georgiev saved all eight shots he faced to prevent the Canucks from scoring on a double minor penalty committed by British Columbia native Luca Cagnoni.
The Sharks finally opened the scoring early in the second period, on another power play. Macklin Celebrini, who grew up a Canucks fan, found open space in the right circle to walk the puck into position and rip home a top-shelf wrist shot for his 25th goal of the season, the most among rookies thus far in 2024-25.
After a back-and-forth stretch in which neither team got any major looks at the net, both teams got one more power-play opportunity but failed to capitalize. The Canucks’ best chances actually came on the penalty kill, getting multiple quality shorthanded chances, but Georgiev used aggressive goaltending to keep the Sharks in the lead as the period came to an end.
Unsurprisingly, the Canucks turned up the pressure in the third, thanks in part to two more power plays. Although they didn’t score on either of them, they maintained control of the action after the second one ended, and tied the game less than a minute later when a slow-rolling puck confused Georgiev, allowing Linus Karlsson to crash the net and tap in the goal with just over nine minutes remaining.
Both teams got some good looks the rest of the period, particularly Vancouver. However, Georgiev recovered from allowing the goal to make more good saves, most notably stopping a breakaway chance for Teddy Blueger. Despite the Canucks’ sustained zone pressure and their six shots on goal during that time, they couldn’t score a go-ahead goal and the game went to overtime.
The extra period saw more of the same, with Vancouver dominating the frame and outshooting the Sharks 8-1. San Jose managed the first shot of overtime, but the Canucks possessed the puck for almost the entirety of the next four minutes. They put forth a barrage of shots, and after several saves by Georgiev, they broke through in the final seconds. A shot by Brock Boeser narrowly missed, bouncing off the back boards and landing at the side of the net, where DeBrusk beat out William Eklund for control of the puck and beat Georgiev through the five-hole for the win, spoiling his 35-save night. With the secondary assist, Quinn Hughes got to 409 career points, tying Alex Edler at the top of the Canucks’ all-time leaderboard among defencemen.
The Canucks, who were eliminated from playoff contention last Wednesday (April 9), improve to 90 points, while the Sharks now have 52. Both teams close out their seasons at home this coming Wednesday (April 16). The Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers while the Canucks take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
