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Canucks stretch winning streak to five on Kesler's shootout goal

Jan 4, 2007 - 7:46 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- It was a typical low-scoring affair between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks. Luckily for coach Alain Vigneault, his team came through in a lengthy shootout.

Ryan Kesler scored in the sixth round of the shootout and Roberto Luongo stopped five of the six shots he faced in the bonus format as the Canucks edged the Stars, 2-1.

It was the third meeting of the season between the teams, with each of the first two also ending in 2-1 decisions - one victory for each club. After Dallas rookie Loui Eriksson's tally midway through the second period tied the game at 1-1, this one also was destined for a similar outcome.

Neither team was able to snap the tie in the third period and Dallas outshot Vancouver in overtime, 4-1, but could not net the game-winner. Brendan Morrison put the Canucks ahead in the second round of the shootout, beating goaltender Marty Turco low to the stick side, but Jussi Jokinen answered on the Stars' next chance with a backhander.

After six consecutive failed attempts, Vancouver pulled in front as Kesler put a backhander past Turco in the sixth round.

"I was thinking about going glove hand high but changed my mind at the last second and came backwards," Kesler said.

Luongo denied Stu Barnes' attempt at depositing the puck between his pads to seal the win.

"I felt good throughout the whole game, so once I got in there (in the shootout), I felt pretty confident," Luongo said.

Defenseman Mattias Ohlund scored a power-play goal and Luongo made 39 saves for the Canucks, who extended their season-high winning streak to five games.

"It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but we'll take it, especially the way our goalie's been playing right now," Vancouver captain Markus Naslund said. "We got outshot, 40-21, so I don't think we played well enough to win tonight. But with Roberto playing the way he is, he made it possible."

"It was our second game in two nights, and with 40 shots, it wasn't an easy game physically," Luongo said. "But we got the job done."

Turco stopped 20 shots for Dallas, which fell to 11-3-2 in its last 16 meetings with Vancouver and suffered its first loss beyond regulation this season (5-0-1).

"We certainly played hard and deserved an opportunity to get two points," Turco said. "But overall, we're pleased with the effort and we just need to find a way to win."

Winners of four of their previous six games, the Stars fell behind late in the first period, when Ohlund slapped a loose puck past Turco from the left faceoff dot with 62 seconds left in the session.

After serving a hooking penalty, Eriksson atoned for his miscue with his fourth goal of the season. Upon exiting the penalty box, the 21-year-old Swede received a pass from Patrik Stefan and skated in alone on Luongo from the Canucks' blue line, deking and sliding the puck between the goalie's pads at 10:27 for a 1-1 deadlock.

Entering with the league's best penalty-killing at home, Vancouver successfully extinguished all seven of Dallas' opportunities with the man advantage.

"Our penalty-killers did a good job, but our best penalty-killer was Luongo," Vigneault said. "He probably had his best game of the year tonight."

The Canucks improved to 8-1 in games decided in overtime or shootouts.

"I don't know what it is," Kesler said. "It seems like we just play better in clutch times."