Canucks extend mastery over Blackhawks to nine straight games

Erik Brannstrom broke a third-period deadlock with the go-ahead goal in the Vancouver Canucks' 4-1 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Teddy Blueger also scored for the Canucks. Goaltender Arturs Silovs made 28 saves to earn his first victory of the season. The Canucks beat Chicago for the ninth consecutive game, their longest run against a single opponent.

Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks, who have lost four of five games. Goalie Arvid Soderblom stopped 29 shots.

With the score tied 1-1, Brannstrom gave the Canucks the lead with his second goal of the season at 4:25 of the final frame. The puck came to Brannstrom at the top of the left circle while his team was buzzing around the offensive zone, and he found the mark with a long slap shot.

Miller, with his sixth goal of the season, and Blueger, who notched his third, added empty-net goals in the final two minutes of regulation time for the Canucks, who won their third game in nine home outings (3-3-3).

Mikheyev opened the scoring with his second goal of the season at 6:50 of the first period. Nick Foligno was denied on his chance coming when he drove to the net, but Mikheyev -- who spent the last two seasons with the Canucks -- was on the spot for the rebound.

The Canucks had all the momentum in the second period and were rewarded when Pettersson's power-play goal tied the clash at 4:56 of the frame. Pettersson's attempt to pass the puck across the edge of the crease became his fifth goal of the season, and third in four games, when it banked into the net off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy.

Connor Bedard, Chicago's 2023 first overall draft pick, played his first NHL game in his hometown. Last season's Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's rookie of the year was held off the scoresheet and managed only one shot on net.

--Field Level Media