Jake DeBrusk scored the only goal of the shootout as the Vancouver Canucks rallied to beat the visiting Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.
Marco Rossi had a goal and two assists while Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist each in regulation for the Canucks, who snapped a five-game losing streak (0-3-2) on home ice.
Vancouver goalie Nikita Tolopilo wasn’t beaten in the shootout, forcing Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg to shoot off target and getting his blocker on Steven Stamkos’ high shot to end the game. Tolopilo finished with 16 saves through regulation and overtime.
Vancouver had lost nine of its previous 10 games (1-6-3) but now will look to win consecutive games at home for the first time this season when it faces the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Tyson Jost scored two goals, Matthew Wood added a goal and Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators, who need to make every game count in the battle for the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot.
Nashville has just three wins in 10 games (3-4-3).
Rossi put in a rebound with just over four minutes remaining in the third to cut the Predators’ lead to 3-2.
With 61 seconds left in regulation, Hronek rifled a wrist shot off the post and in to send the game into overtime.
Saros was spectacular early, keeping the score tight by stopping Drew O’Connor and Linus Karlsson on breakaways as the Canucks outshot Nashville 12-5 in the opening period.
The Canucks carried the play for most of the first period, so it was no surprise they opened the scoring at 8:40 on double deflection that was touched last by Boeser. Hronek took the shot from the point that hit teammate Rossi, sending it toward the front of the net where Boeser neatly tipped it through his legs.
Jost got his own rebound and beat a sprawling Tolopilo during a goalmouth scramble to tie it 1-1 at 18:28 of the first.
Jost scored his second at 5:20 of the middle frame, hammering home high shot after the puck bounced off the end boards to the front of the net.
Nashville rookie forward Wood, who was playing his first game in his hometown in front of family and friends, scored from a sharp angle at 14:06 of the second period to make it 3-1.
