Canucks top struggling Penguins 4-3 with second-period goal-scoring run
Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust, left, and Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes, right, vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Credit: AP/ETHAN CAIRNS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Arshdeep Bains scored the first goal of his NHL career, and the Vancouver Canucks scored four goals in under six minutes for a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Elias Pettersson scored the first of a quick four-goal run midway through the second period after the Penguins built a 2-0 lead.
Kiefer Sherwood and J.T. Miller scored before Bains buried the puck into the back of the net to cap the run. Bains' goal provided insurance for Vancouver (4-1-2) after Evgeni Malkin scored in the third period.
Malkin also had two assists for the Penguins (3-6-1), while Anthony Beauvillier contributed a goal and an assist. Bryan Rust rounded out the scoring.
Goaltender Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots for the Canucks, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves for Pittsburgh.
Takeaways
Canucks: The team’s depth showed in the second when each of its four lines scored over a six-minute span. Ten Vancouver players contributed either a goal or assist, with none putting up multiple points.
Penguins: The visitors were the dominant side across the first period, with Beauvillier opening the scoring 7:48 in. But Pittsburgh’s offense faltered afterwards, and the Penguins were outshot 34-23.
Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson celebrates his goal with his teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against Pittsburgh Penguins in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Credit: AP/Ethan Cairns
Key moment
With the Canucks down 2-0 early in the second period, Pettersson snapped a shot over Nedeljkovic from the faceoff circle to get Vancouver on the board at the 4:06 mark. The goal was his first of the season and sparked an offensive onslaught where the Canucks scored three goals in 65 seconds.
Key stat
Saturday marked the end of a winless four-game western Canadian road swing for Pittsburgh. The Penguins head home with just one point from the trip, coming from a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Up next
The Canucks continue a three-game homestand Monday against the Hurricanes, while the Penguins return home to host the Wild on Tuesday.
