Hutton scores on penalty shot in OT, Canucks top Coyotes 3-2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) Ben Hutton had a number of thoughts in his head as he snaked his way toward Arizona Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue.
Hutton scored on a penalty shot at 2:34 of overtime to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Coyotes on Thursday night.
''There was a lot going through my mind,'' Hutton said. ''I knew we needed this win.''
Hutton beat Domingue on a slick backhand through the five-hole for his second goal of the season after being hooked on a breakaway by Dylan Strome.
''That's the move I use in practice,'' Hutton said. ''I've never attempted it in a game, obviously. I was a little nervous going into it, but it worked out. It's a big two points.''
Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Sutter also scored for Vancouver, which had lost 11 of 13. Jacob Markstrom made 34 saves.
''We've got to build on this and get a little bit better,'' Sedin said. ''We still gave them a few too many chances in the third and weren't good enough the first half of the game either.''
Brad Richardson and Anthony DeAngelo had goals for Arizona, which has lost four straight. Richardson was later carted off on a stretcher with an injured right leg in the second period and taken to a hospital.
Domingue finished with 39 saves.
''We gave too many scoring chances on both sides,'' Domingue said. ''They had a lot, we had a lot and we lost the skills competition again.''
Domingue made a nice glove save on Loui Eriksson six minutes into third before a sliding Max Domi partially blocked Henrik Sedin's effort on the backcheck.
Domi was then denied at the other end on a great backhand that Markstrom, who started for the second straight game with Ryan Miller out with the flu, got with his glove on.
Daniel Sedin had another golden opportunity with under three minutes to go, but Domingue was there.
''Keep going,'' Sedin said of what the message was on the bench. ''It's been about the process all year long. I know it's been tough. We've lost a lot of games.''
The Coyotes opened the scoring 1:22 into the second when Richardson's shot off the rush glanced off the stick of Vancouver defenseman Alexander Edler and past Markstrom short-side for his fifth. The Canucks challenged the play for offside, but the call stood.
DeAngelo made it 2-0 on a broken play at 10:45 after Markstrom overcommitted to Martin Hanzal at the side of the Vancouver net. The puck slid off Hanzal's stick and into the slot where DeAngelo's deflected shot floated into the empty goal for his second.
Things were looking good for the Coyotes at that point, but Richardson crumpled to the ice with a right leg injury a few minutes later after a collision with hulking Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, who stands 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds.
Medical staffs from both teams attended to Richardson for several minutes before loading him onto a stretcher and to a waiting ambulance. The Coyotes said they expect to update his condition on Friday.
''It's a big hole we have to fill in the middle,'' Domingue said. ''He plays crucial minutes in crucial areas of the game, but just the fact he goes down like that, it is a big bummer for our team.''
Vancouver got on the scoreboard at 2-1 with 4:15 left in the period when Sutter took a pass from Daniel Sedin and buried his fourth of the season and third in three games.
The Canucks' much-maligned power play then evened it just 2:13 later when Henrik Sedin threw a nice backhand pass across the ice to Edler, who in turn found Daniel Sedin in the slot for his sixth.
''Again, we came from behind and got the win,'' said Hutton, whose team fought back to beat Dallas in OT on Sunday. ''That's not the way we draw it up. We'd like to come in and get the lead and maintain the lead, which would be nice. But coming from behind just shows the character in this lockerroom.''
NOTES: Vancouver has given up the first goal in 16 of their 18 games this season this season. ... Thursday was Hockey Fights Cancer night at Rogers Arena. The Canucks wore special lavender jerseys in warmups with names on the back of the people they're fighting for. ... Vancouver assigned second-year forward Jake Virtanen to the AHL on Wednesday. ... Canucks forward Jannik Hansen (fractured rib) and defenseman Christopher Tanev (lower body) remained on the sidelines. ... Vancouver called up G Michael Garteig from the ECHL with Miller out.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: Host San Jose on Saturday. In the opner of a three-game homestand.
Canucks: Host Chicago on Saturday night before heading out an a three-game trip.
