Canucks outlast Bruins in marathon shootout for victory
- - Canucks outlast Bruins in marathon shootout for victory
Field Level MediaDecember 20, 2025 at 11:16 PM
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Dec 20, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) deflects the puck in the corner past Boston Bruins center Marat Khusnutdinov (92) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
Liam Ohgren scored the only shootout goal in the seventh round after tallying a goal and an assist in regulation, lifting the visiting Vancouver Canucks to a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
Kevin Lankinen broke an 0-5-1 drought with a 38-save performance, making six stops in overtime before pitching a shutout in the shootout. The win is Vancouver's fourth straight on a five-game trip.
Also for the Canucks, Linus Karlsson registered his first career two-goal game and added an assist, while Max Sasson also scored.
Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist, while Pavel Zacha, Tanner Jeannot and Andrew Peeke also lit the lamp for Boston, which is 1-2-1 in its last four games and lost its first game in extra time this season.
Peeke's point shot that went in off the post with 3:44 left forced overtime.
Jeremy Swayman made 18 stops in his fourth straight start for Boston, which had a 42-22 advantage in shots including 13-4 in the first period and 6-2 in overtime.
Boston turned a dominant start into a 1-0 lead, as Geekie buried a one-timer from the left circle for a power-play goal at 11:37. Geekie became the third Bruin to reach the 25-goal milestone before the holiday break, joining Hockey Hall of Fame member Phil Esposito and current teammate David Pastrnak.
Sasson brought the visitors even with 15 seconds left in the first, scoring a wrist shot from the slot off Ohgren's centering feed.
Vancouver's power play flipped the score 4:22 into the second period. Swayman was caught out of position as Evander Kane slipped a pass from the corner that Karlsson tapped into an open net.
Lankinen made key saves after the Canucks took a 2-1 lead, including a point-blank shot from Mason Lohrei less than 30 seconds after the go-ahead goal.
In the same minute as Swayman stopped former Bruin Jake DeBrusk's breakaway at 4-on-4, Casey Mittelstadt and Nikita Zadorov connected on passes that led to a Zacha back-door finish to tie the game again at 9:41.
Boston regained the lead at 12:05. Mark Kastelic made a great spinning pass through the crease to Jeannot to finish as he drove to the bottom of the right circle.
Vancouver appeared to make it 3-3 with 2:44 left in the second, but Marcus Pettersson was deemed to have used his glove to deflect the puck over Swayman.
In the third, the Canucks followed up a successful penalty kill with a tying goal that counted. Karlsson snapped off a shot from high on the left circle at 3:53.
Ohgren redirected Pettersson's drive from the center point to lift Vancouver at the 7:34 mark. But Vancouver being unable to convert on overlapping power plays, including a short 5-on-3 halfway through the third, helped set up Peeke's goal.
--Field Level Media
Source: “AOL Sports”
