Kiefer Sherwood’s second-period goal stood up as the winner, helping the visiting Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in NHL action Thursday at Ball Arena in Denver.
Dakota Joshua, Jake DeBrusk and Nils Hoglander also scored for the Canucks (37-29-13), who were eliminated from playoff action Wednesday. Devon Toews scored for the Avs (48-28-4), who were without captain Nathan MacKinnon, who is tied for the NHL scoring lead. Colorado is third in the Central Division.
Kevin Lankinen was sharp in goal for Vancouver, making 31 saves to earn the win. Mackenzie Blackwood took the loss, making 26 stops.
After a scoreless first period, DeBrusk opened the scoring 4:50 into the second. Sherwood made a nifty pass to DeBrusk in the slot and he beat Blackwood for his 26th goal of the year.
SHERWOOD SNIPE 🎯 pic.x.com/NsrvkguUbW
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 11, 2025
Sherwood then scored himself to make it 2-0, taking a feed from Joshua and rifling a shot from the right circle for his 19th goal of the season.
Toews cut the lead to 2-1 at 16:36 of the middle frame, deflecting in a long shot from Charlie Coyle.
Joshua restored the two-goal lead at 6:14, knocking home a rebound after a Marcus Pettersson point shot for his seventh goal of the year.
Vancouver defenceman Elias Pettersson and Colorado’s Logan O’Connor engaged in a spirited scrap midway through the final period. It was Pettersson’s first career NHL fight.
Hoglander, with his eighth goal of the year, scored into an empty net with 1:58 remaining to put the game out of reach.
NOTES: Injured Vancouver forwards Elias Pettersson, Nils Aman and Filip Chytil and defenceman Tyler Myers missed the game for Vancouver. Forwards Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton, along with defenceman Josh Manson, also sat out for Colorado… Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play… Vancouver has three games remaining, all at home. They host the Minnesota Wild Saturday (7 p.m.).
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