VANCOUVER – Luca Sbisa scored 36 seconds into overtime as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday.
Alexandre Burrows and Ronalds Kenins scored in regulation for Vancouver (28-18-3), while Eddie Lack stopped 26 shots.
Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler scored in regulation for Winnipeg (26-18-9), which got 30 saves from Ondrej Pavelec.
Sbisa took a feed from Radim Vrbata on a 2-on-1 rush and made no mistake past Pavelec for his third of the season.
Little’s 20th of the season came after Canucks defenceman Alexander Edler’s stick exploded 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.
Lack kept his team in it with a great glove save on Wheeler with under eight minutes to go, and Kenins tied it with his second of the season moments later at 12:32 on a quick shot that beat Pavelec shortside.
Tied 1-1 after the first, the Jets looked to have taken 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 defenceman Jacob Trouba and Lack were involved in incidental contact on the initial rush.
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 on a short-handed breakaway after a Canucks’ miscue found iron.
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Lack’s last outing for Vancouver was a 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, and the Canucks had scored a combined four goals over his last four starts prior to Tuesday.
The Jets, who made forward Evander Kane a surprising healthy scratch in his hometown and were playing their second game in as many nights, entered three points up on the Canucks in the Western Conference standings and grabbed the lead at 10:18 of the first. Blake Wheeler chipped the puck past Vancouver defenceman Dan Hamhuis and moved in all alone before burying his 15th of the season.
The Canucks got that one back just 2:47 later on a slick passing play after Edler made a nice move to keep the puck in at the Winnipeg blue-line. Henrik Sedin found his brother Daniel, who in turn fed Burrows for his 11th on a one-timer past a helpless Pavelec.
Notes: Canucks forward Zack Kassian was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. … Winnipeg has played four more games than Vancouver. … The Canucks host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. … The Jets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
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