Canucks can’t stop Bruins
Marchand nets hat trick as Boston pulls away to double Vancouver, 6-3
VANCOUVER — Brad Marchand had a hat trick in the third period, including the winning goal with under eight minutes to go, as the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on Monday.
David Backes, Zdeno Chara and David Krejci had the other goals for Boston (37-266), which got 26 saves from Tuukka Rask. Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak each added two assists.
Marchand, who also had an assist, now has 35 goals on the season to tie Sidney Crosby for tops in the NHL.
Markus Granlund, with two, and Alex Edler replied for Vancouver (28-32-9), while Henrik and Daniel Sedin each picked up two assists. Ryan Miller made 37 saves in his 700th career NHL game.
The Bruins, who are 11-3-0 since interim head coach Bruce Cassidy took over for the fired Claude Julien on Feb. 7, are now four points up on the Toronto Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division after beginning a four-game road trip on a winning note.
The Canucks are 12 points back of the St. Louis Blues for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Vancouver led 3-2 after 40 minutes, but Boston came out flying after the second intermission and tied it 58 seconds into the third when Pastrnak threw the puck in front to Marchand, who fired his 33rd past a down-and-out Miller.
Granlund, who scored his goals in the first, had a good chance to get his hat trick later in the period, but Rask made a nice pad stop to keep things tied before Marchand struck again.
One of the villains from a Vancouver perspective during the 2011 Stanley Cup final that Boston won in seven games, Marchand stole the puck from Henrik Sedin in the Canucks’ zone before stepping around Edler and beating Miller with 7:57 left on the clock.
Krejci then put it out of reach with his 19th on a slick pass from Pastrnak at 16:46.
Marchand completed the hat trick with 25.5 seconds left on the clock into an empty net for his 35th.
Drew Shore made his Vancouver debut just two days after the forward’s season in Switzerland ended. The Canucks signed the 26-year-old on Sunday following a teamhigh 48-point season (24 goals, 24 assists) with Kloten HC. Shore had nine goals and 15 assists in 80 NHL games over five seasons with the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames before deciding to go overseas in 2016-17.
Shore picked up an assist on Edler’s goal.
Versteeg scores shootout winner as Flames extend streak to 10
CALGARY — Kris Versteeg scored the shootout winner Monday night as the Calgary Flames beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 to equal a franchise record with their 10th straight victory.
Calgary’s first shooter, Versteeg moved in slowly and made a nifty deke before zipping a shot upstairs on Marc-Andre Fleury. Brian Elliott stopped Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel to clinch the win.
Elliott, who had 32 saves, improved to 13-1-1 in his last 15 starts.
The Atlanta Flames had won 10 games in a row Oct. 14 to Nov. 3, 1978.