It was a storybook ending for a pair of Vancouver hockey legends.
Daniel Sedin had the game-winning goal, off an assist from twin brother Henrik, catapulting the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes in NHL action Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
The game marked the Sedins’ final time playing before their adoring home fans, after 17 seasons with the Canucks. Daniel finished the night with two goals while Henrik had two assists.
For the final time…. Daniel and Henrik Sedin!#thankyousedins pic.twitter.com/ufo1xqZj02
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) April 6, 2018
Vancouver came into the competition riding a four-game win streak, but still sitting 27th in the NHL standings with 70 points on the season.
Arizona stood with 69 points, good for 28th overall, having won their previous two games.
Jake Virtanen and Brendan Leipsic also scored for Vancouver (30-40-10), while Christian Fischer, Derek Stepan and Dylan Strome tallied for the Coyotes (29-40-11).
Jacob Markstrom picked up the goaltending victory, making 16 saves. Darcy Kuemper stopped 36 Canucks shots in taking the loss for the Coyotes.
Arizona got on the board early after Nikolay Goldobin’s intended pass to Derrick Pouliot went through his legs and Fischer snagged the puck and blew past Pouliot and lifted it above a sprawling Markstrom for his 15th of the season. Coyotes up 1-0.
Arizona finished the period with the one-goal margin but Vancouver held the advantage in shots on goal at 11-6.
Just 33 seconds into the second period, Henrik Sedin (No. 33) brought the puck into Arizona’s zone, dangled through two players, passed the puck to Alex Edler, who sent a cross crease pass to Daniel Sedin (No. 22) for his 22nd goal of the season. Tie game at 1-1.
👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/dt4NcVftPh
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 6, 2018
With four minutes and 49 seconds remaining in the second period, Vancouver’s Goldobin was unable to clear the puck in his own zone, which ultimately led to Stepan having a one-timer from the top of the circle which got past Markstrom for his 14th goal of the season. Coyotes up 2-1.
Two minutes and one second later, Coyotes’ Max Domi wired a shot from the top of the circle and it took an odd rebound right to Strome, who sent a wrist shot past Markstrom, who had trouble tracking the puck after the initial shot. Coyotes up 3-1.
The period finished 3-1 for the Coyotes, with Vancouver holding a 22-18 shots advantage.
The third period began with the crowd chanting “Go Sedins Go!” as Daniel and Henrik provided unrelenting pressure on the Coyotes.
“GO SEDINS GO” CHANT GOING HERE #Canucks #ThankYouSedins pic.twitter.com/Y1GyhoBQyx
— Vanessa Jang (@vanessajang) April 6, 2018
A minute and 17 seconds into the period, Vancouver’s Bo Horvat won a faceoff and Virtanen picked up the puck and wired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Kuemper for his 10th of the year. Coyotes up 3-2.
Off the face-off – Virtanen rips it past Kuemper#Canucks pic.twitter.com/cnq64PNTEJ
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) April 6, 2018
At 11:45, Leipsic raced for the puck off of the boards, performed a nifty spin-o-rama and backhanded the puck through Kuemper to tie the game up at 3-3. The goal was Leipsic’s fifth of the season.
That spin. Leipsic with a tribute to the Sedins to tie the game 3-3. pic.twitter.com/oNWFFkvAFV
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 6, 2018
At 2:33 in overtime, Daniel Sedin wired a snap shot from a pass from Henrik, through a screened Kuemper to win the game for the Canucks.
Daniel Sedin wins it in OT!#Canucks pic.twitter.com/gBxZq1aZz6
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) April 6, 2018
GAME NOTES:
Vancouver: The Sedins announced their retirement on Monday and will play their final NHL game Saturday in Edmonton…The twins debuted together when the Canucks played at the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 5, 2000. Since then, each of the 1,463 games the Canucks have played (1,358 in the regular season, 105 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs) has included at least one Sedin. In all, 94 per cent have featured both Sedins (1,376 of 1,463), four per cent have included only Henrik (57 of 1,463) and two per cent have had only Daniel (30 of 1,463). Since the start of the 2009-10, the brothers have been on the ice together for 9,916:02, 90 per cent of Daniel’s time on ice and 89 per cent of Henrik’s during that span (details from canucks.com)… The Canucks for Kids 50-50 jackpot on the night was a record $1,014,555, with a take-home prize of $507,278.
Arizona: Defenceman Kevin Connauton was a third-round pick of the Canucks in 2009.
@kieranroconnorkieran.oconnor@bpdigital.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
