Pettersson scores a pair as Canucks sink Sharks 4-3

VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson scored goals 44 seconds apart in the second period — the second on a power play — to snap a seven-game NHL scoring drought as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 Monday night.

Kiefer Sherwood and Brock Boeser also scored for the Canucks (17-10-7) who ended a three-game winless skid.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes had two assists.

Pettersson left the game early in the third period and didn’t return.

William Eklund, on a two-man power play, and Cody Ceci scored for San Jose (11-20-6) who are winless in five games (0-4-1). Luke Kunin also scored with 4.7 seconds left and the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker.

Canuck goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots. San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Vancouver gave up the opening goal for the 18th time in 34 games. The Canucks have a (10-6-2) record in those games. Boeser, who had two goals in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Ottawa, scored in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct.17-19. He missed seven games during the stretch with a concussion. It was Pettersson’s first two-goal game of the season.

Sharks: North Vancouver native Macklin Celebrini, who San Jose picked first overall in June’s NHL draft, marked his first game in his hometown by earning an assist on the Sharks opening goal and an assist on Kunin's late marker. Eklund’s goal was the first San Jose power-play goal in two games. San Jose was 0-5 during that stretch. He left the game in the second period and didn’t return.

KEY MOMENT

The Canucks broke open a close game with three goals in 70 seconds in the second period. Sherwood and Pettersson scored just 26 seconds apart to give Vancouver a 3-1 lead. The Sharks argued for goaltender interference on Pettersson’s goal, but the officials didn’t agree. Petterson scored 44 seconds into the resulting delay of game penalty.

KEY STAT

Hughes has nine assists in Vancouver’s last seven games.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Host the Calgary Flames (16-11-7) on Saturday.

Canucks: Host the Seattle Kraken (15-19-2) on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press