Rare Dorsett offence sparks Canucks to victory
The Vancouver Canucks bounced back on the second night of a back-to-back.
Derek Dorsett had two goals and an assist in the Canucks’ 4-2 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
Daniel Sedin and Markus Granlund also scored to help the Canucks improve to 2-1-0 on a five-game trip. Brandon Sutter had two assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves.
Vancouver gave up four powerplay goals Thursday night in a 6-3 loss in Boston, but didn’t allow any to Buffalo in three chances.
“Our penalty kill let us down last night and today our penalty kill bounced back and did a pretty good job,” Dorsett said. “We’ll take points as we can get ’em.”
The Canucks came back from one-goal deficits twice in the first two periods.
“It was a real good hockey game by our group,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “After playing a tough game last night, the way we responded tonight, I was real happy for our team.”
Jack Eichel and Justin Bailey scored for Buffalo, and Chad Johnson stopped 37 shots. At 1-5-2, the Sabres are off to their worst start since going 1-7-0 in 2014-15.
“We got to look at ourselves and really dig down,” Sabres forward Kyle Okposo said. “We got to come out and play with some fire.”
Sedin gave the Canucks their first lead of the game 8:10 into the second period. Johnson saved Sedin’s wrist shot from the left circle, but Sedin poked the rebound between the goaltender’s pads.
Buffalo challenged that Jake Virtanen was offside on the goal. After reviewing replays, officials determined that Virtanen had possession and control of the puck as he entered the attacking zone ahead of the puck.
“I disagree with the call, totally,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said. “In my opinion, he knocks the puck out of the air. He never had possession. If you call that possession, then as I’ve been in the league, it’s a different answer or explanation that they give me. I call it 10 out of 10 times offside.”
Virtanen said he thought he had control of the puck but didn’t know if the officials would make the same determination.
“Those are ones you’re not really sure about,” he said. “But it definitely felt good to get that one.”
Dorsett’s short-handed goal tied it 5:52 into the second period. Sutter’s shot from the right circle bounced off Johnson’s pad to the left slot where Dorsett one-timed it in. Dorsett scored his fourth of the season into an empty net with 21.7 seconds remaining.
The Sabres opened the scoring in the opening minute when Ryan O’Reilly sent a backhand pass from the corner to Bailey in the slot. Bailey moved from right to left and slipped a backhander past Markstrom.
Granlund knocked in the rebound from Sutter’s shot to tie it for Vancouver midway through the first period.
Eichel scored his third of the season to make it 2-1 with 2:40 left in the first.
NOTES: Canucks D Erik Gudbranson served a one-game suspension for hitting Boston’s Frank Vatrano from behind Thursday night.
Jets 4, Wild 3
WINNIPEG — Captain Blake Wheeler scored the 200th goal of his NHL career with six minutes left in the third period to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
Wheeler’s first goal of the season also helped Jets head coach Paul Maurice record his 600th win as an NHL head coach. He’s the 17th coach to reach that milestone.
The Wild turned the puck over just outside their blue line and Kyle Connor fed a pass to Wheeler, who used a deke to beat goalie Devin Dubnyk at 13:14.
Wheeler’s score made up for a disallowed Winnipeg goal midway through the period.
Jets centre Mark Scheifele appeared to have poked in the goahead goal, but it was overturned on a Minnesota challenge that Wheeler interfered with Dubnyk.
Patrik Laine scored a pair of power-play goals and Nikolaj Ehlers added his sixth goal of the season for Winnipeg (4-3-0). Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien each picked up a pair of assists and Wheeler added one.
Mikko Koivu, Mike Reilly and Chris Stewart, who extended his point streak to five games, supplied the offence for the Wild (1-2-2). Jason Zucker had a pair of assists.
Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for the Jets.
Dubnyk stopped 26 of the 30 shots he faced for the rested Wild, who were playing their first game since their home opener last Saturday.
Penguins 4, Panthers 3
SUNRISE, Florida — Conor Sheary scored a power-play goal with 2:53 left to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Sheary backhanded the puck past James Reimer.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, and Sidney Crosby and Carter Rowney also scored for the Penguins. Matthew Murray stopped 28 shots, and Phil Kessell had two assists.