VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green wanted his two top forwards off the ice for a line change. Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser didn’t listen, and Green was glad.
The pair teamed up to score the game-winning goal in overtime.
Horvat scored at 3:12 of the extra period, off an assist from Boeser, and the Canucks edged the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Saturday night.
“(I was) screaming at them to change then telling them great job after the goal,” Green said.
“They had a little juice left. Guys usually find some juice when there’s a chance to score. … So I was happy they stayed.”
Brandon Sutter scored for the Canucks in regulation, and Joakim Nordstrom scored for the Bruins.
Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots. Jaroslav Halak turned away 20 of 22 shots for the Bruins.
Saturday marked the second time Horvat and Boeser have joined forces to put in an overtime winner this season. Both said they were tiring when the opportunity presented itself against the Bruins.
“I was ready to change, but it was a great play by Bo to get it over to me and I just wanted to get it back to him and give him a chance to score,” Boeser said.
Horvat agreed.
“It definitely was a heck of a play,” he said.
“Brock and I have some good chemistry out there and thankfully the pucks are going in right now.”
Sutter opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game following a scramble in front of Boston’s net. The center grabbed the puck from the fracas and slipped it in under Halak’s leg for his third of the season.
After a scoreless second period, the Bruins came out fired up in the third, pressing the Canucks defense and repeatedly putting shots on net.
Nordstrom tied it midway through the period, ripping a shot from the top of the face-off circle. The puck skimmed Markstrom’s left glove as it sailed into the back of the net.
Boston’s John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk were credited with the assists. It was Moore’s 100th NHL point.
Nordstrom also seemed to spark some animosity between the clubs.
Horvat hit the Swedish center midway through the second period, a move that Boston’s Noel Acciari apparently took issue with.
Horvat and Acciari dropped their gloves and traded blows, with Horvat knocking off Acciari’s helmet, and Acciari eventually tossing Horvat to the ice.
It was Horvat’s second NHL fight. He previously took on Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse in April 2017.
For Boston, the loss in Vancouver marked the end of a disappointing road trip. The Bruins also dropped a 5-2 decision in Calgary earlier this week and lost 3-2 to the Oilers in overtime on Thursday.
“Definitely it doesn’t go the way we wanted on this trip but we lost back-to-back in overtime and that can go either way,” right winger David Pastrnak said after Saturday’s game.
“But today was not a great first period, so try to start on time and play 60 minutes. At the end of the day I still think we were the better team after the first but we didn’t score enough goals.”
