Canucks recover for shootout win against Kraken

SEATTLE -- J.T. Miller scored the only shootout goal, and the Vancouver Canucks recovered for a 4-3 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday.

Vince Dunn tied the game 3-3 for Seattle with 53 seconds remaining in the third period, sending a wrist shot from the left point through traffic and past Kevin Lankinen’s glove.

“Our bench was good [after they tied it],” Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers said. “Where earlier in the year, it wouldn’t have been as good, guys were doing a good job of staying up. Games are going to go back and forth. When something bad happens, you’ve just got to stay positive.”

Lankinen made 13 saves, plus three more in the shootout, in relief of Thatcher Demko for the Canucks (18-11-8), who had lost their previous two. Demko stopped 11 of 12 shots before exiting with back spasms at 7:49 of the second period.

“That’s why you prepare all day, you prepare all year, all summer,” Lankinen said. “Because you never know what’s going to happen. I’m happy the guys helped me out a little bit too. It’s a huge win for the guys.”

Demko did not make his season debut until Dec. 10 after sustaining a knee injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Nashville Predators on April 21.

“I don’t think it’s serious, but you know the way back spasms are,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “It could be a day or two. I’m not sure.”

Matty Beniers scored for the third game in a row for the Kraken (17-19-3), who had won their previous two games, including a 5-4 comeback overtime win at the Canucks on Saturday. Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves.

“I thought we possessed it well [in overtime],” Beniers said. “We got some good looks, and [Lankinen] made some big saves.”

Seattle rallied from down two goals in the third period after coming back from down three goals against Vancouver on Saturday.

“We had to come back again in the third period, and it really started with the opportunity on the power play with 12 minutes left,” Seattle coach Dan Bylsma said. “We got a huge goal from Matty, and we were full court after that goal.”

Beniers cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal at 9:05 of the third, one-timing a Shane Wright pass in the slot over Lankinen’s shoulder.

“We came back in the third strong and were able to tie it up,” Beniers said. “It was a good pushback, but if we can put ourselves in better situations going into the third, I think we’re going to have more success.”

Dunn, who scored in overtime to cap the comeback on Saturday, then tied it with Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker.

“It was a gutsy effort,” Tocchet said. “Obviously, you’re disappointed they tied it up, but the guys stuck together, and we got the two points.”

Chandler Stephenson gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of the first period with a snap shot off a rush from the left circle that squeezed under Demko’s blocker.

Max Sasson tied it 1-1 at 13:17. Nils Hoglander's shot from the top of the right circle got partially blocked and caromed off Danton Heinen’s skate to Sasson, who slapped it past Grubauer's right pad from the top of the crease.

“They had a good start to the game, and then halfway through the first, we started pushing back and getting into our game,” Myers said. “I thought we only built off of that.”

Conor Garland gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead with a breakaway goal at 7:49 of the second period. Phillip Di Giuseppe found Garland with a stretch pass at the blue line, and he deked to his forehand and slipped the puck around Grubauer’s left skate.

“[Grubauer] played it really well,” Garland said. “I just kind of had to wait him out just an extra second. But good defense by our ‘D’ to hold the line there, and I think [Seattle] just got unlucky because they were changing. So, it’s just a little fast break.”

Myers pushed it to 3-1 at 5:35 of the third period, taking a Miller feed at the top of the right circle and firing a wrist shot past Grubauer’s blocker.

“Any chance to go up more, we’ll take it,” Myers said. “It was a really good play [by Miller] in the corner, and luckily it went in.”