By Canadian Press

Bo Horvat scores in overtime as Canucks beat Blues 4-3 in NHL playoff action

Aug 14, 2020 | 8:07 PM

EDMONTON — Bo Horvat scored on a breakaway in overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 4-3 win on Friday in NHL playoff action.

Horvat took a stretch pass from Quinn Hughes and zipped the puck through the legs of St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington less than six minutes into the extra frame.

The Canucks have a 2-0 lead over the defending Stanley Cup champions in their best-of seven first-round series with Game 3 on Sunday.

It was Horvat’s second goal of the game and his sixth of the post-season.

Elias Pettersson, and Tanner Pearson also scored for Vancouver. Ryan O’Reilly, Sammy Blais and David Perron replied for the Blues.

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Jacob Markstrom made 34 stops in the Canucks net. Binnington turned back 21 of 25 for his second loss of the post-season.

St. Louis was chasing the game from the get-go.

Horvat had the opening goal on a jaw-dropping end-to-end rush while shorthanded in the first period.

Wheeling and picking up speed in his own face-off circle, Horvat hit high gear through the neutral zone, blew past Brayden Schenn, turned Jaden Schwartz inside out, then fired a wrist shot low blocker side past Binnington.

In the second period, Pearson scored his third of the playoffs, standing in the slot and one-timing a cross-seam saucer pass from Pettersson through Binnington’s pads.

The Blues replied on the power play with just over a minute left in the second period. O’Reilly, standing beside Vancouver’s net, took a pass from Perron through traffic and picked the far corner with a wrist shot.

The Canucks went up 3-1 in the third on the power play. Pettersson, in the crease, bunted a rebounding puck in mid-air into the net for his third of the playoffs. Blais brought the Blues to within one, jumping on a turnover and beating Markstrom with a nifty backhand move.

St. Louis tied the game with seven seconds left in regulation time with Binnington pulled for the extra attacker. Alex Pietrangelo shot the puck from the point, and Perron redirected it past Markstrom. It was initially waved off as a high stick but ruled a goal on review.

In the third period, Schenn hit Canuck defenceman Tyler Myers from behind, and he fell awkwardly head-first into the boards. Myers stayed down for a few minutes and went to the dressing room under his own power.

All Western Conference post-season games are being played in an empty Rogers Place. Players are also staying isolated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 14, 2020.

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press