Blues use OT to hand Canucks another home loss

Dylan Holloway scored 1:40 into overtime to give the visiting St. Louis Blues a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

Jake DeBrusk collected a late equalizer for the Canucks at 18:08 of the third period, but Holloway still secured the victory for St. Louis in the extra frame by roofing a shot over Thatcher Demko’s shoulder.

Holloway also had an assist, giving the forward 13 points (six goals, five assists) over a seven-game points streak.

Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists for St. Louis. Jordan Kyrou and Zack Bolduc scored the Blues’ other goals.

Joel Hofer stopped 22 of 25 shots for the backup goalie’s sixth win in nine starts this season.

St. Louis is 5-1-1 since coach Jim Montgomery was hired on Nov. 24.

The Canucks are 0-1-1 in their last two games and have just four wins (4-6-4) in 14 home games this season.

Demko stopped 21 of 25 shots in his season debut. Demko was making his first on-ice appearance since late April, when he sustained a knee injury in the Canucks’ first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, and Conor Garland and Brock Boeser each had two assists.

Dakota Joshua scored Vancouver’s other goal, opening the scoring 8:02 into the first period. Just 73 seconds later, St. Louis equalized on Bolduc’s well-placed snap shot through traffic.

During a Canucks power play at 17:30 of the first period, Garland made an ill-advised attempt to cut off a Blues pass out of their zone. This sprung Thomas on a breakaway, and the forward scored the Blues’ first short-handed goal of the season.

A questionable tripping call on Boeser led to the Blues’ next goal, as Kyrou converted a one-timer for a power-play goal at 16:18 of the second period.

Vancouver answered with a power-play tally of its own at the 18:32 mark, with St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko providing accidental help. Pettersson received credit for the goal after his pass attempt across the crease was tipped by Parayko into the Blues’ net.