ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – A two-goal, two-assist night from Elias Pettersson led the Vancouver Canucks to a dominant 6-4 pre-season win over the Ottawa Senators on Monday.
Defenceman Alex Edler also put up a four-point night for the Canucks with a goal and three assists, while J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat also found the back of the net.
Brock Boeser added three assists for Vancouver in the victory.
Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers each had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who also got tallies from Bobby Ryan and Artem Anisimov.
The Canucks power play was critical in the victory, with the team capitalizing on four-of-eight opportunities with the man advantage.
Vancouver got off to a fiery start, peppering Anders Nilsson with shots, but it was Ottawa who made it on to the scoreboard first on Monday.
The Canucks gave the puck away behind their own net, giving Ryan a chance in front.
The right-winger beat Jacob Markstrom glove side, scoring on Ottawa’s first shot of the game. Tierney and Balcers were credited with helpers.
Less than a minute later, Ottawa’s Jordan Szwarz was called for boarding after taking down Oscar Fantenberg. The Vancouver defenceman laid on the ice for several minutes before being helped off by a trainer. He did not return to the game.
Szwarz was handed a game misconduct on the play.
The Canucks were quick to capitalize on the advantage.
Boeser took a long shot from the top of the faceoff circle, drawing Nilsson out of the net. Miller then tipped the puck in for the equalizer.
Pettersson added another power-play goal three and a half minutes later, converting a long pass from Boeser into a shot up and over Nilsson’s pad.
Edler widened the lead before the end of the first frame, beating the Ottawa goaltender with a rocket from the blue line.
The Sens got one back 9:19 into the second period. Anisimov picked up the puck in front of the crease and bested Markstrom with an unassisted back-handed shot.
Vancouver had another chance to perfect its power play midway through the second frame when Ottawa left-winger Parker Kelly was called for slashing.
Pettersson struck once again, ripping a shot from inside the faceoff circle up and over Nilsson’s shoulder to put the Canucks up 4-2.
Less than a minute later, the Sens responded.
Markstrom stopped a quick shot from Drake Batherson, but couldn’t control the rebound. The puck bounced out to Balcers and the Latvian tapped it in to bring Ottawa back within a single goal.
The Sens had a chance to tie up the score late in the second when Benn was called for holding but they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Instead, Benn collected the puck from Tyler Myers as he left the penalty box and scored on a breakaway.
But the Canucks weren’t done yet.
Horvat added another power-play goal 5:00 into the third period. Pettersson and Edler each picked up an assist on the play.
A bad read on the other end of the ice led to an Ottawa goal just over a minute later, however.
Markstrom came well out of his net to clear the puck but couldn’t get it out. Tierney picked it up behind the Canucks net and got an easy wrap-around shot in as the Canucks netminder dove to get back in position just seconds too late.
The two teams will square off again in Vancouver on Wednesday.
NOTES: The Canucks sent four more players down to their American Hockey League affiliate on Monday. Reid Boucher, Zane McIntyre, Francis Perron and Ashton Sautner will all start the season in New York with the Utica Commets. … Recently retired ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir dropped the puck in a special pre-game ceremony.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2019.
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