Canucks get first win of the season with dramatic OT goal in Florida
The Vancouver Canucks finally have their first win of the season and it came in a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory.
The Canucks beat the Florida Panthers on the road after a huge goal from J.T. Miller in the extra frame. This was the team’s third overtime game in their first four contests.
JT MILLER CALLS GAME AND GETS THE CANUCKS THEIR 1ST W 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Eknjsg4okQ
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 18, 2024
Quinn Hughes pushed the Panthers back into their own zone, allowing Miller to garner speed and create the scoring opportunity. Commentator Dave Tomlinson called it a set play.
“Huggy sets it all up. We want him to take it up as far as he can and create a little less gap, try and catch somebody flat-footed,” explained Miller after the game.
The American forward picked the corner perfectly with his shot for his second marker of the season.
Hughes pushes back the Panthers skaters, while Miller gathers steam way back inside the #Canucks blue line. @HockeyDaveT called it a set play
Great goal. pic.twitter.com/7ISgwMDiwA
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) October 18, 2024
Hughes dominated large parts of this game and tilted play in the Canucks favour whenever he was on the ice. He had set a new career-best in shots in the second period and finished with nine.
Teddy Blueger got the scoring started for the Canucks when his wraparound was ruled a goal. The Panthers answered later in the first period before Hughes helped the Canucks take back the lead in the second.
Quinn Hughes steps into a slapper to give the Canucks the lead. đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/AunLgyULAn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 18, 2024
The Canucks were desperately looking for a win after starting the year 0-1-2. While they have only won one of their games, the team still has four points through four games.
Both goalies made plenty of big saves in this game as Kevin Lankinen and Sergei Bobrovsky each put forward strong starts. The Canucks had several chances to break the 2-2 tie in the third period but the Panthers future Hall-of-Fame goaltender shut the door.
“It was a hard-fought game by both teams. I feel like it could’ve went any way,” continued Miller. “Both goalies played amazing today. It was a fun game.”
Miller’s overtime goal was the 10th of his Canucks career. That places him second on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard, pushing him ahead of Brendan Morrison. He trails Daniel Sedin for the top spot by six goals.
Top 5 #Canucks all-time OT goals:
1. Daniel Sedin (16)
2. J.T. Miller (10)
3. Brendan Morrison (9)
4. Sami Salo (7)
5. Elias Pettersson (7)— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) October 18, 2024
Kiefer Sherwood was among the standout forwards for the Canucks. He finished the night with 10 hits and an assist as he provided energy and toughness in the bottom-six.
“We acquired him because he’s a really good forechecker,” explained coach Rick Tocchet. “He’s fitting in well.”
As the pressure mounts on Elias Pettersson, the Swedish forward responded with a strong performance. While he had no points, the superstar finished with four blocked shots, hit a crossbar, and set up a few really strong scoring chances.
The Panthers were playing with a less-than-healthy roster as forward Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov were both out due to injury.
The Canucks were playing with a new lineup themselves. Defenceman Erik Brannstrom played his first game for the franchise, finishing with just under 12 minutes of total ice-time.
“We got some work to do but I thought there was some good stuff in there,” said Tocchet about his team’s performance.
The Pacific Division team continues their road trip and play their next game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The puck will drop at 4 pm PT.