In a thrilling NHL game that went into overtime, the Vancouver Canucks beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 with just 18 seconds left on Monday, with Jake DeBrusk becoming the hero of the night by scoring the game-winning goal in the extra period.
The decisive moment came when DeBrusk capitalized on a loose puck in front of goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. After a powerful shot by Brock Boeser ricocheted off the back boards and returned to the slot, DeBrusk wasted no time in finishing the play. With the victory, the Canucks improved their previously inconsistent overtime record to 7-12 this NHL season.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged the peculiar trend of his team’s struggles in extra time throughout the campaign. “It’s been a weird year with that,” Tocchet admitted. “Obviously, we have to dive into why. I thought we managed the puck well. Obviously, (Quinn) Hughes had the puck most of the time—that helps. So maybe that’s the strategy: just give him the puck and we all watch him. But no, we’ve got to look into it for sure.”
Sharks team depleted by injuries
For the Sharks (20-49-12), Macklin Celebrini netted the team’s lone goal, while Georgiev delivered an impressive performance in goal with 35 saves. San Jose’s situation worsened after losing four players to injury in a previous game against Calgary, which forced the team to recall three skaters from the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier on Monday.
Canucks vs. Sharks: An exciting NHL game
Celebrini opened the scoring at 4:20 of the second period with a power-play goal. Skating in from the right side, he found an open shooting lane in the circle and delivered a precise wrist shot past goaltender Arturs Silovs, off the crossbar and in. The goal was assisted by Luca Cagnoni—one of the three AHL call-ups—who, like Celebrini, grew up in the same region.
The Canucks responded in the third period when Linus Karlsson tied the score 1-1 at 9:03. He beat his defender in front of the net and redirected a rebound over Georgiev’s left pad from the edge of the crease. “That’s how I score in Abbotsford (AHL), too,” Karlsson said. “Just try to be around the net, and it’s always like all my goals are from that area.”
In a matchup where both teams showed grit and determination, the Canucks’ dramatic overtime victory left a bittersweet feeling for the Sharks, who, despite adversity, were close to securing a favorable result.