Canucks Pull Off Miraculous Comeback, Defeat The Stars 6-5 In Overtime

Despite being down 5-2 with a minute left, the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a miraculous comeback on Tuesday, defeating the Dallas Stars 6-5 in overtime. Jake DeBrusk, Victor Mancini, Aatu Räty and Pius Suter (2x) scored in regulation, while Kiefer Sherwood was the hero, beating Casey DeSmith in overtime. As for Thatcher Demko, he stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced for his tenth win of the season.

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It is hard to put into words exactly what happened on Tuesday night. With their slim playoff hopes fadding, the Canucks put together their greatest comeback this season to not just tie the game, but later win in overtime. If anything, this team deserves a lot of credit for fighting to the end, especially against one of the top teams in the league.

Now, for the game recap, the first area that needs to be discussed is special teams. It was a rough night for the penalty kill, which went 1-4, while the power play finished 2-4. Considering how unbeatable the penalty kill has been as of late, allowing three goals was surprising, but luckily, it didn't cost Vancouver at the end of the game.

"Overall, I didn't think we were that bad," said Rick Tocchet post-game. "Our PK has been unreal all year. A couple of unfortunate situations, starting behind the eight-ball, but I love the fight, obviously. Third period, to do that is a character win for a lot of guys."

While players like Suter, Quinn Hughes and Conor Garland will garner most of the headlines, the younger players deserve to be praised for their performances today. Mancini scored his first goal with the Canucks while Elias Pettersson threw five hits. Vancouver also received some strong performances from Linus Karlsson, who had an assist, as well as Aatu Räty, who had a goal and an assist, along with five hits.

"I think it's huge for development," said Tocchet. "When you are sitting on the bench as a young kid. It's 5-2, and with whatever time is left, it looks like we are going to lose. Then we score a goal and you see the fight and the diagrams in we are doing this. There wasn't guys hanging their head. I mean, it's huge for the young guys. To be honest with you, they were up on the bench. They were alive. They were cheering the guys on who were on the ice. That's big for development."

In a season with so many challenges, a win like this is a reward for not just the team but the fans who have stood by the organization the entire season. They kept fighting, and, at least for the night, still mathematically have a chance at a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It may not have been the prettiest game, but in the end, the Canucks found a way to make NHL histoy by becoming the first team in NHL history to win after erasing a three-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation.

Stats and Facts:

- Victor Mancini becomes the second Canucks defenceman to record a power play goal this season
- Vancouver records the second-fastest three goals in franchise history at 54 seconds
- Quinn Hughes ties Alex Edler for the most power play points by a defenceman in franchise history at 177
- Filip Hronek records his first career faceoff win

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

13:48- DAL: Mikko Rantanen (32) from Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley (PPG)
18:01- DAL: Mason Marchment (21) from Jamie Benn and Mikael Granlund (PPG)

2nd Period

7:28- DAL: Matt Duchene (30) from Jamie Benn and Mikael Granlund (PPG)

3rd Period:

00:17- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (25) from Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes (PPG)
4:39- VAN: Victor Mancini (2) from Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson (PPG)
17:15- DAL: Mavrik Bourque (11) from Jason Robertson and Cody Ceci
17:39- DAL: Mikael Granlund (22) from Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene (ENG)
19:00- VAN: Aatu Räty (7) and Marcus Pettersson
19:30- VAN: Pius Suter (23) from Conor Garland and Filip Hronek
19:54- VAN: Pius Suter (24) from Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes

Overtime:

3:44- VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (18) from Conor Garland 

Up Next:

The Canucks wrap up their mini two-game road trip with a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. This will be the third game between these two teams, with Vancouver currently holding a 2-0 advantage. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT from Ball Arena.

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