The Vancouver Canucks scored three goals in three minutes and 26 seconds in the second period, en route to a 5-3 win over the host Dallas Stars in NHL action Thursday at American Airlines Center.
Filip Chytil, Brock Boeser, Max Sasson, Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes scored for the Canucks (2-2-0). Thatcher Demko made 28 saves to pick up the win in goal. Mavrik Bourque, Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston replied for the Stars (3-1-0). Casey DeSmith took the loss in net, stopping 21 shots.
The Stars dominated the first period, outshooting the Canucks 14-7 and emerging with a 2-0 lead.
Bourque was credited with the game's first goal at 4:29, when his pass into the slot went off the stick of Vancouver centre Elias Pettersson and in behind Demko.
Rantanen made it 2-0 on the power play with 38 seconds left in the period, firing a shot from the right wing and beating Demko blocker-side.
The middle frame was a different story, as the Canucks roared back with four goals.
Chytil scored this third of the year at 6:40, corralling a bouncing puck and beating DeSmith stick-side. Two minutes and 10 seconds later, Hughes made some nifty moves at the point and slid a shot into the slot which was tipped home for a power-play marker by Boeser. It was his third of the year.
At 10:06, Sasson tallied his first of the season, taking a Tyler Myers bank pass off the board and snapping a shot past the blocker of DeSmith. Garland finished off a four-goal Vancouver second period at 18:54, taking advantage of a Dallas giveaway in the slot and beating DeSmith.
Late in the third (17:25), Myers took an interference penalty on Rantanen, and Dallas pulled DeSmith to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Just 27 seconds later, Johnston converted a slick pass from Tyler Seguin to pull Dallas within one at 4-3. Johnston has four goals in four games so far this season.
The Stars kept DeSmith on the bench, pressing for the equalizer, but were unable to beat Demko. Dallas defenceman Miro Heiskanen took a penalty with 1:02 remaining and Hughes then wrapped things up with an empty-net goal with 36 seconds left. It was the first goal of the season for the Canucks captain.
NOTES: The Canucks continue their five-game road swing against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday (5:30 p.m.). On Sunday, they take on the Washington Capitals in an early game (9:30 a.m.)... Jason Robertson had two assists for Dallas, reaching the 400-point mark for his career.
