Jan. 21 (UPI) — Elias Pettersson returned to Vancouver’s lineup as the Canucks picked up a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena.
Pettersson, who leads the Canucks and NHL rookies with 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) this season, missed the past five games with a sprained knee.
The young forward scored a goal at 10:16 of the first period on a redirection, giving the Canucks a 1-0 lead.
“It’s great [to be back],” Pettersson told reporters after the game Sunday. “Of course it’s fun to see the team play well, but as I said before, I’d rather play than watch. So, it’s great to be back.”
Red Wings forwards Frans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek notched back-to-back goals in the second period to give Detroit a 2-1 advantage.
Bo Horvat scored his 18th goal of the season and Antoine Roussel added the game-deciding tally in the third period.
Brock Boeser had two assists and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 35 saves for Vancouver (23-21-6), extending its point streak to five games (3-0-2).
Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier had 28 saves, but Detroit (18-25-7) lost in regulation despite holding a lead in the third period for the second consecutive game.
Detroit travels to play the Edmonton Oilers (23-23-3) on Tuesday night. The Canucks host the Carolina Hurricanes (23-20-5) on Wednesday.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.