• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bieksa scores game-winner for streaking Canucks

Dec 27, 2010 - 6:23 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Kevin Bieksa scored with 24 seconds left in the game to lift Vancouver over Edmonton, 3-2, at Rogers Arena.

With the Canucks pressuring hard during the final minute, Alexandre Burrows sent the puck to point to Bieksa, who rifled a slap shot that slipped past well-screened Edmonton goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

"We stayed patient, played the right way in the second half of the game and got the result," Bieksa said.

Jeff Tambellini and Mikael Samuelsson also tallied for the Canucks, who are 11-1-2 during their last 14 games and have earned a point in each of the last nine. Cory Schneider made 19 saves in the win.

Ryan Whitney and Ryan O'Marra scored for Edmonton, which squandered a two-goal lead to finish a three-game road trip without a win (0-2-1). Khabibulin ended with 30 saves in the loss.

The first period ended scoreless as Schneider turned aside nine shots and Khabibulin had seven saves.

It took nearly 13 1/2 minutes into the second stanza for the game to see its first goal when O'Marra notched his first career tally. Linus Omark sent the puck toward the net and it was deflected to the left circle where O'Marra picked up the garbage and sent it home for an Oilers' 1-0 edge.

Whitney made it a two-goal game by leading a break down the right side of the boards. He moved his way into the right circle and ripped a wrister past the glove hand of Schneider.

Only 64 seconds later -- and with 46 seconds left in the period -- Vancouver got itself on the scoreboard after Tambellini ripped a shot from the right circle for his eighth goal of the season.

"That goal we gave up at the end of the second was a tough goal to give up," Whitney said. "You can't give up odd-man rushes like that. The level is there for us, we just have to start getting wins."

Samuelsson squared the game away at two when Raffi Torres sent a quick pass across ice to Samuelsson on the right side of the net. He then chipped it past Khabibulin.

Tambellini had a second goal, and a possible game-winner, called off with 3:39 left because he used the blade of his stick above the crossbar to tip the puck in. The Canucks kept the momentum, though, and were able to score the winning goal during the final minute.

Game Notes

Khabibulin is just 1-10-1 in his last 12 versus the Canucks...Both teams were 0-for-3 on the power play.