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Kiefer Sherwood had a memorable night on the ice, scoring his first NHL hat-trick to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko proved his mettle, denying the Avalanche with 30 saves. The Canucks achieved their second win in the last five games (2-2-1).
Late avalanche falls short
Colorado’s Valeri Nishushkin scored with 46 seconds left, but it was too late for the Avalanche. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves on the night. Sherwood, the star of the show, scored an equaliser, a crucial goal from short range and an empty-netter to seal the deal. With this performance, he has now surpassed his previous career best of 10 goals in a season, reaching a new record of 11 goals.
Rantanen continues his points streak
Mikko Rantanen was able to secure an assist for the Avalanche, extending his impressive point streak to six games, totaling three goals and nine assists during that span.
The most prominent features of the game
The Canucks responded to the coach’s criticism
After a disappointing 5-1 loss to Boston on Saturday, coach Rick Touchette had some stern words for his players, specifically calling out a handful who were “struggling to invest emotionally.” The Canucks responded with a physical and disciplined game against the Avalanche, neutralizing four penalties, blocking 18 shots, and recording 30 hits.
Avalanche records drought
Colorado, a team that usually scores high goals, had a rare quiet night, scoring just one goal despite achieving four wins in its last five matches. Before that, the Avalanche had outscored their opponents 18-9.
A decisive moment
The game took a turn when Sherwood increased Vancouver’s lead with a short-handed goal with less than four minutes left in the second period. Sherwood intercepted a puck from Nathan MacKinnon near the benches, raced up the ice, and deftly lifted a shot over Blackwood’s outstretched glove to make it 2-0.
Key statistic
The Avalanche failed to capitalize on four power-play opportunities, leading to a dismal 1-for-19 record over their last seven games.
What’s next?
Upcoming games see the Avalanche head to San Jose on Thursday, while the Canucks are scheduled to visit Utah on Wednesday, kicking off a two-game road trip.
