O’Connor’s Penalty Shot in Overtime Lifts Canucks Past Sharks
Drew O’Connor converted a penalty shot 33 seconds into overtime, securing a 2-1 victory for the Vancouver Canucks over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
The penalty shot was awarded after Macklin Celebrini interfered with O’Connor during a breakaway. The goal marked only the second penalty-shot overtime winner in Canucks history—the first since Ben Hutton in 2016.
Vancouver’s dominance over San Jose continues, improving to 15-1-0 against the Sharks since January 2020. Thatcher Demko extended his personal winning streak against San Jose to 13-0-0, stopping 33 of 34 shots.
Key Performers:
- Canucks: Drew O’Connor (Game-Winning Penalty Shot), Thatcher Demko (33 Saves)
- Sharks: Tyler Toffoli (1 Goal), Dustin Wolf (30 Saves)
NHL Scores & Highlights – February 8, 2025
Maple Leafs 3, Kraken 1
Returning from a 24-game absence, Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves to help the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Seattle Kraken in his first game since December 12.
- Maple Leafs Standouts:
- Philippe Myers, Bobby McMann, Matthew Knies: 1 Goal Each
- Anthony Stolarz: 26 Saves
- Kraken Standouts:
- Eeli Tolvanen: 1 Goal
- Joey Daccord: 27 Saves
Toronto remains undefeated on their four-game road trip (3-0-0), concluding Saturday against Vancouver.
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Panthers 3, Blues 2
Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, including the game-winner with 11.8 seconds left, as the Florida Panthers secured a road win over the St. Louis Blues.
- Panthers Standouts:
- Matthew Tkachuk: 2 Goals, Game-Winner
- Spencer Knight: 20 Saves
- Blues Standouts:
- Zack Bolduc, Oskar Sundqvist: 1 Goal Each
- Joel Hofer: 31 Saves
The Panthers have won seven of their last 10 games, while St. Louis has now dropped six of their last seven.
Lightning 5, Senators 1
Brandon Hagel scored the go-ahead goal for the second straight game, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a sweep of their two-game home series against Ottawa.
- Lightning Standouts:
- Brayden Point: 1 Goal, 2 Assists
- Jake Guentzel, Mitchell Chaffee, Erik Cernak: 1 Goal Each
- Andrei Vasilevskiy: 27 Saves
- Senators Standouts:
- Michael Amadio: 1 Goal
- Tim Stutzle: Extended 7-Game Point Streak (2 Goals, 8 Assists)
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Utah 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT)
Dylan Guenther scored the overtime winner, marking his second OT goal in two games, as Utah defeated Columbus on the road.
- Utah Standouts:
- Dylan Guenther: Game-Winning Goal (19th of Season)
- Lawson Crouse, Olli Maatta: 1 Goal Each
- Blue Jackets Standouts:
- Justin Danforth, Ivan Provorov: 1 Goal Each
- Elvis Merzlikins: 30 Saves
Columbus has now lost three straight and continues to struggle in close games.
Avalanche 4, Flames 2
Martin Necas scored twice and added an assist, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
- Avalanche Standouts:
- Martin Necas: 2 Goals, 1 Assist
- Cale Makar: 1 Goal, 1 Assist
- Nathan MacKinnon: 3 Assists (League-Leading 83 Points)
- Flames Standouts:
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Rasmus Andersson: 1 Goal Each
- Dustin Wolf: 30 Saves
Colorado has now won six straight against Calgary.
Golden Knights 3, Devils 1
Jack Eichel continued his hot streak, scoring his eighth goal in the last nine games, as the Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing streak.
- Golden Knights Standouts:
- Jack Eichel: 1 Goal
- Nicolas Roy, Shea Theodore: 1 Goal Each
- Adin Hill: 14 Saves
- Devils Standouts:
- Ondrej Palat: 1 Goal
- Jake Allen: 37 Saves
New Jersey managed just 15 total shots, struggling offensively in their third loss in five games.
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Capitals 4, Flyers 3
Lars Eller and Jakob Chychrun scored in the third period to lead Washington past Philadelphia.
- Capitals Standouts:
- Alex Ovechkin: 879th Career Goal (16 Away from Passing Gretzky)
- Connor McMichael, Lars Eller, Jakob Chychrun: 1 Goal Each
- Charlie Lindgren: 19 Saves
- Flyers Standouts:
- Matvei Michkov: 2 Goals
- Tyson Foerster: 1 Goal
Philadelphia has now lost five straight games, despite Michkov’s first career multi-goal performance.
Wild 2, Hurricanes 1
Filip Gustavsson made 37 saves, backstopping Minnesota to a 2-1 victory over Carolina.
- Wild Standouts:
- Yakov Trenin, Vinnie Hinostroza: 1 Goal Each
- Filip Gustavsson: 37 Saves
- Hurricanes Standouts:
- Sebastian Aho: 1 Goal
- Frederik Andersen: 22 Saves
Carolina has now dropped three straight games, struggling to generate offense.
Looking Ahead: Key NHL Games This Weekend
- Friday, February 9:
- Winnipeg Jets vs. New York Islanders (Jets chase eighth straight win)
- Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche (MacKinnon vs. Draisaitl showdown)
- Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators (Both teams aim to snap losing streaks)
- Saturday, February 10:
- Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic Division battle)
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Calgary Flames (Western Conference showdown)
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Seattle Kraken (Playoff positioning implications)
With playoff races intensifying, every game matters. Stay tuned for more NHL updates and analysis.
