Canuck'd Up. Dallas Stars Game 17: 4-3 Loss Against the Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks got their two points back.

Last week, the Dallas Stars ripped two points out of Vancouver’s grasp with a furious comeback in the third period. The Canucks returned the favor Thursday night by scoring two goals in two minutes early in the third period and holding off the Stars to win 4-3.

The Stars opening the scoring 35 seconds into the game when Jamie Benn dangled his way through four Canucks and took a bad-angle shot from along the red line the hit off the post and past Corey Schneider. Nearly eight minutes later, Reilly Smith was called for a questionable interference penalty at center ice and Alex Burrows deflected in an Alex Edler shot from the point.

Michael Ryder scored on a slick backhand shot 2:39 into the second period, but Vancouver tied the game again when Kevin Bieksa scored his own backhand goal during a 4-on-4 7:05 into the second. The Stars had led twice on early-period goals and had twice gone into the dressing room at intermission tied.

Vancouver came out firing in the third period. Antoine Roussel jetted across the defensive zone and laid out to block a shot by Jason Garrison slap shot. The block hurt Roussel who stumbled and struggled to get up as he headed straight to the bench. Garrison had recollected the puck and, with the ice a little more open due to Roussel’s injury, rips another slap shot that zipped past a screened Cristopher Nilstorp.

Nilstorp started in net due to Kari Lehtonen’s groin injury and Richard Bachman’s recent struggles. He stopped 18 of the 22 shots he faced and looked more comfortable in net than Schneider, but Nilstorp received less defensive help. The puck was deflected from in close on the first goal, Bieksa flew through the Stars for a breakaway on the second, Nilstorp was screened on the third and the final Vancouver goal was scored on a 2-on-1 where Alex Goligoski played the shot instead of the pass as defensemen are usually assigned to do.

The Stars have now lost both their first two games of this home stand 4-3. They wrap up this home stand on Saturday night when they host the division-rival San Jose Sharks.