DALLAS — Kiefer Sherwood set an NHL record three weeks ago by accumulating the most hits in a season. He helped the Vancouver Cancuks made history on Tuesday night with a big comeback in the final minute of regulation.
Sherwood scored with 1:16 left in overtime after the Canucks became the first NHL team to score three times in the final minute of regulation – all 6-on-5 scores – as Vancouver rallied to stun the Dallas Stars 6-5.
''Says a lot about the group,'' said Sherwood, who took Conor Garland's pass from behind Dallas' net in the low slot and fired a shot past Casey DeSmith. ''‘Gar' just made an absolute crazy play. Kind of felt like slow motion, got his head up and put it on my tape.''
The Canucks trailed 3-0 after two periods and then 5-2 as the final minute of the third approached. The comeback helped them avoid elimination from the playoff race one year after winning a division title.
''That's got to be one up there,'' Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. ''I loved the fight, obviously, in the third period. To do that is a character win for a lot of guys, for the team.
''My son texted me – ‘You looked like last year's team in the third.'''
Jake DeBrusk and Victor Mancini scored power-play goals to pull to 3-2 less than five minutes into the third. However, Mavrik Bourque gave Dallas breathing room scoring with 2:45 left in the third and Mikael Granlund added an empty-net goal 24 seconds later to restore the three-goal lead.
''It's 5-2 whatever time was left,'' Tocchet said. ''It looks like we're going to lose. And we score a goal, and you see the fight. There wasn't guys hanging their heads.''
