Kiefer Sherwood established a NHL record three weeks ago by accumulating most successes in a season. He helped the Vancouver Canucks make history on Tuesday night with a great return at the last minute of regulation.
Sherwood scored with the remaining 1:16 in extra time after the Canucks became the first team in the history of the League to overcome a three-goal deficit at the last minute of regulation and won the game when they beat Dallas Stars 6-5.
“He says a lot about the group,” said Sherwood, who took Conor Garland’s pass behind the Dallas network in the low slot and shot a shot beyond Casey Desth. “‘Gar’ has just made an absolute crazy play. She felt like a slow camera, raised her head and put her on my tape.”
The Canucks lost 3-0 after two periods and then 5-2 when the last minute of the third approached. The return helped them avoid the elimination of the playoff career a year after winning a division title.
“That has to be one up there,” said Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet. “I loved the fight, obviously, in the third period. Doing that is a victory of characters for many boys, for the team.
“My son sent me a text message: ‘You looked like last year’s team in the third.”
Jake Debrusk and Victor Mancini scored goals of power to reach 3-2 less than five minutes in the third. However, Mavrik Bourque gave Dallas that he breathes the score with 2:45 remaining in the third and Mikael Granlund added an empty network goal 24 seconds later to restore the advantage of three goals.
“It’s 5-2 any time left,” Tocchet said. “It seems that we are going to lose. And we scored a goal and we see the fight. There were no boys hanging their heads.”
Aatu Race scored the first 6th goal against 5 with exactly 1 remaining minute in the regulation. Pius Suter made the 5-4 score with 30 seconds, and Suter scored again with 5.2 seconds to tie it.
Mikko Rantanen de Dallas was penalized for cutting 46 seconds in the extra period. The stars killed the penalty, and the teams played 4 in 4 instead of the usual 3 against 3 in extra time until Sherwood finished the game.
The stars would have assured at least second place in the central division with a victory. They are four points in the first place Winnipeg entering Thursday’s confrontation with the jets at home.
“I have won and lost many games in this league. I don’t think I lost one in that way,” said Stars coach Pete I must.
The veteran captain of the stars Jamie Benn, who grew up to about 70 miles west of Vancouver in Victoria, British Columbia, described the loss as “unacceptable.”
“That game should have been involved,” said Benn. “We should have found a way to do it there.”
