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Luca Sbisa scores 36 seconds into OT as Canucks beat Jets
Luca Sbisa didn't want to look back on overtime and think about what might have been.
The bruising defenseman jumped up in the play and converted a slick feed from Radim Vrbata on a 2-on-1 break 36 seconds into the extra period Tuesday night -- his first point in 25 games -- to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 victory over the skidding Winnipeg Jets.
"You have one point for sure. You don't want to leave the OT with regrets," said Sbisa, who scored his third goal of the season. "Just go out there and try to win, don't play scared to lose. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't, but I think you've got to try something in OT."
The Canucks found themselves down 2-1 early in the third period when Bryan Little scored his 20th of the season on a power play after Ronalds Kenins took a holding penalty. But the rookie forward redeemed himself at 12:32 by ripping in his second goal in just his third NHL game.
"We were just talking in the locker room that in the third period we had to try and not take a penalty," Kenins said. "I went out my first shift and got a penalty, so that was kind of bad.
"I felt really bad. Lucky I got that back and we turned around and we won the game."
Alexandre Burrows scored the other goal for Vancouver, and Eddie Lack stopped 26 shots.
Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg, which got 30 saves from Ondrej Pavelec.
"It's the first good game we've played since the (All-Star) break," said Jets coach Paul Maurice, whose team has lost five in a row. "I'm not talking about things being easy or nice or pretty, but our fight was right on.
"You hate the result. You hate losing a game that you fight so hard, but it's fun on the bench, guys are into the game. It's a man's game. It's the way it should be played. I was pleased with everything but the outcome," he added.
Little's goal came after Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler's stick broke on an easy clearing attempt with his team down a man at 2:13 of the third. Jets captain Andrew Ladd grabbed the loose puck and quickly found Little, who ripped a shot high over Lack's blocker.
"It was a little chippy out there. It was fun," Sbisa said. "I think we were emotionally involved. I don't think physically we were on their level, but we didn't back down and we kept going."
Lack kept his team in it with a great glove save on Wheeler with under eight minutes to go. Kenins tied it moments later on a quick shot that beat Pavelec short side.
"They're a big, physical team. I thought we pushed back today," Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said. "Eddie made some big saves in the third that we needed. Kenins (had) a big goal."
The score was tied 1-all after the first and the Jets appeared to take the lead with about three minutes to go in the second period, but Adam Lowry's rebound effort was disallowed after the officials ruled Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba and Lack were involved in incidental contact on the initial rush.
"He skated right into me and a different guy scored the goal," Lack said. "It's the right call."
Winnipeg had another chance on Lack -- who made his first start in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller since Jan. 13 -- with 20 seconds to go, but Michael Frolik's backhand hit the post on a short-handed breakaway after a Canucks miscue.
Lack's last outing was a 5-1 loss to Nashville, and the Canucks had scored a combined four goals over his last four starts prior to Tuesday.
"Some guys took the break to rest, I took it to work on some stuff," Lack said. "I'm feeling a lot more comfortable out there. Big night."
NOTES: The Canucks trail the Jets by two points in the Western Conference wild-card standings with four games in hand. ... Jets forward Evander Kane was a surprising healthy scratch in his hometown. ... Canucks forward Zack Kassian was healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.
