Canucks strike in second period to rally past Penguins

Elias Pettersson scored one of four unanswered second-period goals for the host Vancouver Canucks, who stormed back for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Arshdeep Bains, J.T. Miller and Kiefer Sherwood also scored in the second for Vancouver, which won its fourth straight game. Bains recorded the first goal of his NHL career.

Goaltender Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots as the Canucks began a three-game homestand after winning three of four during their first road trip of the young season.

Evgeni Malkin finished with a goal and two assists, former Canuck Anthony Beauvillier had one goal and one assist and Bryan Rust scored once for the Penguins, who have lost five straight.

Skidding Pittsburgh was without its No. 1 goaltender and two-time All-Star Tristan Jarry, who was sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment earlier Saturday. Alex Nedeljkovic got the start against Vancouver and looked good in the first period before the wheels fell off in the second. He finished with 30 saves.

After going down 2-0 early in the second, Vancouver turned the tables on the Penguins by scoring three goals in just 65 seconds to take their first lead of the game.

Rust scored on a wrap-around at 1:56 of the second to give the Penguins their 2-0 cushion.

It didn't last long, though, as Pettersson put home his first goal of the season by ripping a shot off the far post and in at 4:06 of the second. Just 43 seconds later, Sherwood finished off a two-on-one break following a slick saucer pass from Teddy Blueger. Soon after, Miller broke in alone and jammed his own rebound past Nedeljkovic to cap a stunning turn of events and give Vancouver a 3-2 lead.

Bains pounced on a rebound at 9:58 of the second, giving the Canucks a 4-2 lead that they would take into the final period.

Malkin scored the only goal of the third, beating Lankinen with a nifty backhand deke.

--Field Level Media