Arnason's trick downs Canucks in OT
Canadian Press
3/19/2004
CHICAGO (AP) - A less-than-perfect pass paid off for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Tyler Arnason scored his third goal of the game, 1:44 into overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
The goal came after Bryan Berard threw the puck toward the goalmouth from the left corner. The puck struck goalie Alexander Auld and popped up before Arnason batted it in for his first hat trick this season and second of his career.
``I was just looking to get a bounce from a bad angle,'' Berard said. ``I didn't know I had anyone with me. The one thing I've learned this year is that when you put the puck on net, good things happen and Arnie made a great play.''
The goal gave Arnason 20 goals in his second full NHL season. It also gave Chicago its second win in 11 games (2-6-2-1).
``The puck hit (Auld's) goal stick, it kind of flipped up and I just swung at it,'' Arnason said.
The hat trick was the first for the Blackhawks this season. Jim Vandermeer also scored for Chicago.
Matt Cooke scored a goal and set up Trevor Linden's score early in the third period as the Canucks rallied from a 3-1 deficit.
``You have to play 60 minutes in this league to be successful, whether it's the Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks,'' Cooke said. ``We know that, but didn't do that.''
Brendan Morrison also scored for Vancouver, 1-4-2 in its last seven games and 1-3-2 since the suspension of Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi.
Blackhawks goalie Michael Leighton stopped 32 shots to end his seven-game winless streak (0-6-1).
Johan Hedberg started in goal for Vancouver, but was pulled at 6:53 of the second after allowing three goals on 14 shots. Auld made 19 saves in relief.
``It was good we recaptured the momentum by having the other goalie come in and play well,'' Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. ``It's hard to explain, but goalie changes do sometimes shift momentum. Alex played well.''
Morrison's power-play goal with 2:57 left in the first period made it 1-0. He scored from the left side of the crease after Brent Sopel's drive from the top of the slot sailed wide, bounced off the back boards and directly to him.
Arnason's first goal, on the power play at 1:37 of the second, tied it. Hedberg tried to clear the puck from behind the net, but it struck Chicago's Eric Daze and deflected to Arnason in front of the goal.
Arnason struck again just under three minutes later to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. Hedberg blocked Arnason's point-blank deflection of Tuomo Ruutu's centring pass. However, the puck squirted away from Hedberg, and Arnason tapped it in.
Vandermeer made it 3-1 during a power play at 6:53 of the second on a screened drive from the top of the slot.
After the goal, Canucks coach Marc Crawford pulled Hedberg and replaced him with Auld. Auld was recalled earlier Friday from Manitoba of the AHL to replace injured Dan Cloutier.
Cooke cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal with 6:18 left in the second. He scored from the edge of the crease after taking a perfect pass from Daniel Sedin in the corner.
Linden tied it 3-3 at 2:30 of the third.
Notes: Cloutier missed the game due to a hip injury sustained in a loss at Dallas on Thursday. He's day-to-day. ... Canucks D Ed Jovanovski, out with a shoulder injury since Jan. 25, is on the road trip. He's missed 25 games. ... Arnason has seven goals and nine assists in 12 games. ... Blackhawks rookie TW Tuomo Ruutu assisted on Arnason's second goal and has nine goals and eight assists in 12 games. ... The Blackhawks' power play is 16-for-45 the past 11 games.
Cheers,
Aquaman