SportsHockeyCanucks

What Drew O'Connor said after scoring OT penalty shot for Vancouver Canucks

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
|
Feb 7 2025, 2:00 pm
What Drew O'Connor said after scoring OT penalty shot for Vancouver Canucks
@Canucks/X

The new additions keep on coming up huge for the Vancouver Canucks.

Drew O’Connor scored his second goal with his new team in spectacular fashion to secure another victory. The Canucks are now 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, tied for the best mark in the Pacific Division.

O’Connor scored on an overtime penalty shot to help the Canucks secure a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. He had missed a breakaway attempt earlier in the game but made no mistakes on this crucial play.

Canucks fans will recognize the move O’Connor used as it was recently traded forward J.T. Miller’s go-to.

 

“I had an idea that was what I wanted to do with it,” said O’Connor after the game. “It’s a little bit easier when you can come in slow and pick your spot like that. It would’ve been nice to score the breakaway earlier, but I’m glad I got another chance at it.”

The sequence all started with a great save from Thatcher Demko who was terrific all night and has allowed just one goal over his last two starts. Demko made 33 saves tonight to help the Canucks pick up a crucial two points.

“We got a big save, and then I just tried to beat my guy up the ice. [Filip Chytil] made an awesome play to get it to me, got a little bit of a stick on it; it was a nice play by Fil to get it over to me.”

The Canucks look like a brand-new team with O’Connor, as well as the other newcomers like Marcus Pettersson and Chytil, in the lineup. They’re playing much faster and all of the good energy is translating into wins.

“The speed, he really adds a lot to our team,” said Rick Tocchet about O’Connor. “That was obviously a big goal for us. He’s] just a real coachable kid; he wants to learn. I know he’s only been here a week, two weeks, but he’s just a really good coachable kid.”

The Canucks made quick work of singing Pettersson to a long-term extension, giving him six years. O’Connor is also a pending free agent and with his play so far, he’s proven he also needs to get a new deal. He finished tonight’s game with a team-high six shots.

The Canucks are back above the playoff bar as they’ve passed the Calgary Flames. Both the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings are well within their sights, and if they keep playing like this, it won’t be long before they catch them, too.

ADVERTISEMENT