Kuzmenko, Martin lead Canucks to 4-3 shootout win over Calgary Flames

It took extra time, but the much-improved Vancouver Canucks kept rolling Wednesday night.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored the only goal and Spencer Martin didn’t let a puck past him in the shootout as Vancouver made it six straight with a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.

“It’s good. I like it because I helped win the game,” said Kuzmenko, who also assisted on the tying goal.

With four wins in its last five, and nine in its last 13, Vancouver is playing its best hockey of the season.

“I was proud of the way we played tonight. It’s a tough building to get into and they have a good team there,” Canucks center Bo Horvat said.

Horvat, Conor Garland and Sheldon Dries scored in regulation for Vancouver (13-13-3).

Martin made 35 shots between regulation and overtime and improved to 9-3-1.

“They had a game plan to funnel attempts at me, a lot of shots from the goal line, awkward angles like that,” Martin said. “Just to fight it and when there’s a chance to make a Grade A save, you have to be ready.”

Mikael Backlund, Andrew Mangiapane and Trevor Lewis scored for Calgary (13-11-6). Jacob Markstrom, who had 24 stops, saw his record drop to 8-7-4.

The Flames have points in six of their last seven, but just three wins to show for it. They have lost three straight games in extra time.

“We have to hold on, we need these points,” said Dube. “When you play well in tight games, you have to find a way to win. That’s what really good teams go for and we have to get there.”

In the shootout, Jonathan Huberdeau pitched first and made his first stop this season. Kuzmenko then put Vancouver on the board with a quick shot over Markstrom’s glove.

Dillon Dube and Backlund both missed the net on the Flames’ next two attempts to seal their fate.

Vancouver outscored Calgary 5-2 in overtime, but even an Ilya Mikheyev breakaway shot couldn’t beat Markstrom.

Dries tried to take the lead in the third period and sent a shot from the front, but it was cut off by Markstrom. Later in the frame, Markstrom denied Curtis Lazar on a two-on-one.

Martin also stopped all nine shots he faced in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

“The best thing I thought was the way we played the third period. I don’t think we gave up too many chances and we were really conscientious defensively,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “Sometimes this year it didn’t happen. I really liked it.”

Dries tied the game 5:31 into the second period. With a pass along the sideboards from Nils Hoglander, Dries hit a shot inside the posts.

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Just under two minutes earlier, Lewis had given Calgary its first lead of the game when his effort from behind the net deflected off Martin’s glove.

The Flames cut the deficit in half at 9:40 of the first half when Backlund tipped in Dube’s perfectly placed center pass for a power play goal.

With 3:51 left in the frame, Calgary pulled even when Mangiapane one-timed Nazem Kadri’s center pass inside the goal post.

“Not ideal to be behind 2-0 right away, but to leave the first period an even hockey game was a great effort from us. Unfortunately, we can’t get the win,” Markstrom said. “It’s as frustrating as a loss, no matter how it comes. You want to win and you play to win and if you don’t, it’s frustrating.”

The Flames fell behind 2-0 before even getting a shot on goal.

Horvat scored his 21st of the campaign when he deflected Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s layup past Markstrom 1:14 into the game.

Thirty-four seconds later, Garland curled out of the corner unmarked and zipped a 25-foot wrist shot into the top corner.

PUNISHMENT PARADE

After a road trip in which Calgary was shorthanded 20 times in three games, the parade continued to penalties in the first period. The Canucks went on the power play twice. The Flames have been shorthanded 115 times, which is tied for second behind the Edmonton Oilers (116). The St. Louis Blues, is at 65 the fewest times.

LINEUP SHOVELS

Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (non-COVID illness) returned after missing one game while defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body) sat out after taking a shot to the side of the head in Montreal on Monday. Calgary also got center Elias Lindholm (upper body) back after a one-game absence and substituted Ritchie for rookie wing Matthew Phillips. For the Canucks, forward Brock Boeser (non-COVID illness) did not play, opening a spot for Dries’ return.

FOLLOWING

Canucks: Open a three-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Flames: Play host to the St. Louis Blues.

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