Canucks score 3 goals in 2nd period, hold off Ducks

VANCOUVER -- Jake DeBrusk, Teddy Blueger and Carson Soucy scored in the second period for the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-2 comeback win against the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.

Kevin Lankinen made 14 saves and defenseman Filip Hronek had two assists for the Canucks (28-22-11), who won for the second time in six games (2-4-0).

DeBrusk’s goal was his team leading 22nd of the season, but Blueger’s was his first in 29 games and Soucy’s was his second in the past 31 games and third this season.

“Depth scoring is just always important, especially when you're trying to make a run here,” Soucy said. “As a group, we did a good job creating but it's always nice when you can help the team get a win this late in the season.”

Sam Colangelo and Brian Dumoulin scored for the Ducks (27-27-7), who lost in regulation for just the third time in the past 10 games (6-3-1). Anaheim also lost starting goalie John Gibson, who saved 19 of 21 shots before leaving the game at 13:48 of the second period after getting hit by Canucks forward Drew O'Connor as he drove the net to try and redirect a cross-ice pass.

“I didn't really see it but the guy crashed the net pretty hard,” said Lukas Dostal, who made 14 saves in relief. “I hate to see that, because with John we're very good friends and I really admire him as a goalie, and it's just unfortunate.”

Anaheim coach Greg Cronin did not have an update on Gibson after the game.

“I didn't really see the collision,” Cronin said. “I didn't really even replay it, but he was obviously hurt so we'll figure out what's going on tomorrow.”

Anaheim was playing back-to-back games after a 6-2 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday and got outshot 17-5 in the first period by the Canucks. But Gibson made a handful of tough saves and Colangelo gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead by deflecting a Cutter Gauthier point shot up and over Lankinen at 13:21.

“We weren't good. We didn't have a lot of energy. I thought they came out, they set the tone early,” Cronin said. “They had like 12 shots the first 10 minutes. Clearly they were charged up, they were waiting for us, and they dictated the pace of the game immediately."

The best of Gibson’s first period saves came off Brock Boeser on a backdoor one-timer off the rush at 1:06, getting across to get a piece of the in-tight shot with his left pad, then spinning around to catch the rebound behind his back.

“He's been playing so well,” Dumoulin said. “It's been amazing to watch him and the way he battles and competes. I feel for him, definitely hard having him coming out of the net. That's not easy, especially when he's playing so well.”

DeBrusk finally beat Gibson on a power-play breakaway at 1:05 of the second period, tying it 1-1 with a shot over the blocker after being sent in alone by Boeser just inside the blue line following a stretch pass from Hronek.

“It's always nice to see puck go in the net,” DeBrusk said. “Big goals from Teddy and [Soucy] as well off forechecks, scrambles, and it's nice to get rewarded. … happy for those guys. It's always nice when goals come throughout the lineup.”

Blueger put Vancouver ahead 2-1 at 10:33, using Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe as a screen to score his first goal since Dec. 19 with a low-glove wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle.

Soucy made it 3-1 at 18:51 of the second period, one-timing a cross-ice pass from Nils Hoglander to the top of the left face-off circle before Dostal could get across. Anaheim challenged for goalie interference because Kiefer Sherwood was behind Dostal and clipped his skate, but a video review determined a Ducks defensemen caused him to be in the crease.

“It was almost too good of a net presence but I think that's kind of what we've been harping on lately, is we got to get some greasy goals,” Soucy said. “We got to get guys in the paint.”

Dumoulin pulled Anaheim to 3-2 at 13:27 of the third period by driving the net to chip a rebound past Lankinen but the Ducks only had one shot after that.

“We were sloppy the whole night,” Cronin said. “We couldn't collect passes. We had the puck inside the blue line, lost the puck inside the blue line multiple times. We just were sloppy. It was just a sloppy game for us.”

NOTES: Anaheim forward Mason McTavish had one assist, giving him 122 career points (54 goals, 68 assists) to pass Bobby Ryan for sixth most by a Ducks player at age 22 or younger, one behind Corey Perry (123). … Boeser’s assist was his 421st point (197 goals, 224 assists) in 533 games with the Canucks, moving past Bo Horvat for 12th place on the team’s all-time scoring list. … Vancouver extended its home point streak to a season-best five games (4-0-1).