The Vancouver Canucks finally captured a victory on Tuesday night, snapping a brutal 10-game losing streak by erasing a three-goal deficit to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in overtime. Trailing 5-2 late in regulation, Vancouver mounted a fierce rally capped off by Filip Hronek’s overtime winner with just 11 seconds remaining, as reported by The Globe and Mail.
A Third-Period Surge Rescues a Struggling Squad
For much of the evening, the Canucks appeared bound for another disastrous result following a three-second-period-goal outburst from Anaheim that built a commanding 4-1 lead. But Vancouver refused to fold. Brock Boeser and Jamie Oleksiak struck early in the final frame to narrow the gap before rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki netted a pair of empty-net goals in less than a minute—the second coming with 1:57 left on the clock—to force the contest into overtime.
🎥: The @Canucks comeback! From being down 5-2 to winning it 6-5 in overtime, what a performance! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/3eN95goL7w
Head coach Manny Malhotra praised the composure shown by his players after weeks of mounting frustration. Really pleased with the response from the guys. That’s the type of effort that we’ve been looking for, for a while now,
Malhotra said, according to sportsnet.ca.
We have to build on it.
IT WAS 5-2 🤯THE CANUCKS WIN IT 6-5 IN @ENERGIZER OT THANKS TO FILIP HRONEK! pic.twitter.com/ZQC9wrkjdw
Youth and Veteran Contributions Collide in Southern California
While the victory offers a vital morale boost, the game also showcased the growing pains and silver linings of Vancouver’s roster. Defenceman Filip Hronek endured a rough start, caught out of position on an early rush and failing to secure a puck along the boards leading to Anaheim tallies. Yet the 28-year-old blueliner redeemed himself by setting up the tying goal before hammering home the first overtime game-winner of his 10-year career.
“Much needed,” Hronek told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy about the win. Really happy that we could come back and get a win.
Everyone worked in the third period and we have to bring that to other games.
Meanwhile, the emergence of Jonathan Lekkerimaki continues to provide optimism during a difficult campaign. Selected 15th overall in 2022, the young Swedish forward now boasts six goals and 12 points through 14 games. He’s elite in terms of his ability to get (the shot) off and pick corners,
Malhotra noted regarding Lekkerimaki’s offensive instincts. But more so his poise that he had, recovering a couple pucks and just settling it down for us, putting us in a good spot. Another step in his growth.
Brock Boeser also revived his productive early-season form, chipping in a goal and two helpers—including the primary assist on Hronek’s winner—to bring his team-leading October output to 11 points.
Anaheim Stumbles Following a Promising Start
On the opposing bench, Joel Quenneville’s Ducks watched a comfortable multi-goal lead slip away, adding to an underwhelming start for a club that made waves by reaching the playoffs and defeating Edmonton last spring. With the loss, Anaheim dropped to 5-6-1, sitting behind several Pacific Division rivals as growing pains catch up to the young roster.
Leevi Merilainen stopped 18 shots for Vancouver, while Lukas Dostal turned aside 27 attempts for Anaheim. The Canucks will look to carry their newfound momentum northward when they visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, while the Ducks return home to host the Buffalo Sabres.
The #Canucks scored four goals in the third period to force overtime, using the momentum for a 6-5 comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.RECAP | https://t.co/syUJXfCDYe pic.twitter.com/8onIZmibUN
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