Pettersson scores twice in 3rd, Canucks defeat Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Elias Pettersson scored two goals in a 1:03 span in the third period for the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday.

Pettersson has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) during an NHL career-high 12-game point streak.
Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist, and Collin Delia made 29 saves for the Canucks (34-34-5), who have won three straight and 10 of their past 12. Andrei Kuzmenko and Ethan Bear each had two assists.
"I wasn't happy with the first [period], and we came on at the end and obviously got a couple goals," Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. "You've got to respect every opponent you play. Listen, I'm happy we won. I just didn't like our start."

Connor Murphy and Lukas Reichel scored for the Blackhawks (24-43-6), who have lost five in a row. Petr Mrazek, who was making his first start since March 14 because of a groin injury, made 27 saves.
"It seems like, besides I think the two games that were on the road (a 5-0 loss at the Colorado Avalanche and a 6-1 loss at the Washington Capitals last week), we've been pretty competitive, and most of the games have been close toward the end of the game," Chicago defenseman Seth Jones said. "I think we're starting to play a certain way and understand a certain way we have to play every night to be successful.
"And we're not going to go out and put a bunch of holes in the net, so we've got to play a tight, systematic game. And I think that's what we're doing. We're taking care of the puck in the neutral zone pretty well, and we're trying to go from there."

Murphy gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 16:01 of the first period with a short-handed goal. He scored on a wrist shot from the blue line off a pass by Jason Dickinson from below the goal line.
Phillip Di Giuseppe tied it 1-1 at 19:43 of the second period. J.T. Miller passed the puck to Di Guiseppe, whose backhand from in front deflected in off the skate of Jones.
Delia kept the game tied when he made two sprawling saves against Tyler Johnson early in the third period while the Canucks were short-handed.
"Just try to get my leg up there and take away space," Delia said. "He caught me going the other way, so I just had to plant hard and try and get back the other way.
"I think we just stuck with it regardless of the situation. We kept on going. I think that's just a testament to our group. That's the type of habits we're trying to build. It's incredible, just the commitment we have to each other day in and day out, the little habits, the practice habits. We're kind of reaping the rewards of that right now."

Pettersson gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead at 12:06 of the third, one-timing a pass from Bear below the right circle.
Pettersson then made it 3-1 at 13:09 with a power-play goal. He jammed in a rebound in the crease after Quinn Hughes' shot was redirected by Boeser and Andrei Kuzmenko.
Reichel cut it to 3-2 at 18:18, but Boeser scored into an empty net at 18:57 for the 4-2 final.
Canucks forward Aidan McDonough, who signed a two-year contract on March 13 following his senior season at Northeastern University, had one shot on goal in 10:03 of ice time in his NHL debut.
"It was awesome," McDonough said. "It was amazing, just to have so many friends and family here. To share with my best friend since first grade, [defenseman] Jack Rathbone, to be out there with me, and obviously to get the two points, it was amazing. Everything you can dream of."
NOTES: Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin did not play after leaving Vancouver's 3-1 victory at Dallas on Saturday after blocking a shot. Tocchet said he is day to day … Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi left the game in the second period. "It's kind of a reoccurring injury he had earlier in the season with his hip," Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. "We'll know more by Tuesday, probably. … I just talked to the doctor there now and just said, we'll see how he is Tuesday."