By Canadian Press

Elias Pettersson’s 2 goals lifts Canucks over Blackhawks 4-2

Mar 26, 2023 | 6:01 PM

CHICAGO (AP) — Elias Pettersson scored twice, Phillip Di Giuseppe scored, Brock Boeser got an empty-netter, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Sunday night.

The Canucks won their third straight and sent the Blackhawks to their fifth straight defeat.

The Blackhawks celebrated Pride night, honouring the city’s gay community, without the rainbow-coloured Pride night warm-up jerseys nor coloured stick tape used in previous seasons. On Thursday, the team announced they wouldn’t wear them, citing an anti-gay Kremlin law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home.

Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev was the only Russian-born Blackhawk in the lineup on Sunday. Injured centre Philipp Kurashev holds dual Swiss-Russian citizenship.

Pettersson scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season in the third period. His first, a deep-angle shot from the right side, broke the tie at 12:06. His second, on a power-play, came from the slot in the middle of a pileup 63 seconds later. Andrei Kuzmenko assisted on both goals.

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Chicago defenceman Connor Murphy opened the scoring, beating Canucks goalie Collin Delia with a 55-foot wrist shot with 3:59 left in the first period. It was the sixth goal of the season for Murphy who last scored on Jan. 23.

Di Giuseppe tied it at 1-1 with 17 seconds left in the second period, his centring pass from the right slot caroming into the Chicago net off the left instep of Blackhawks defenceman Seth Jones. Goaltender Petr Mrazek could not react to the deflection.

Rookie Lukas Reichel scored his fifth goal of the season to pull Chicago to within 3-2 with 1:42 remaining, but an empty-net goal by Boeser finished the scoring.

Delia stopped 29 shots in picking up his ninth win. Mrazek made 27 saves in recording his 20th loss.

Blackhawks defenceman Jarred Tinordi went to the locker room with an injury midway through the second period and did not return.

RICHARDSON, MURPHY BOOST PRIDE NIGHT

Before the game, Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said of Pride night, “I’m appreciative of being involved with it. I know the whole organization’s committed 365 days a year, not just today. That’s the biggest message we want to show the community — support.”

Richardson and defenceman Murphy addressed gay fans on a scoreboard video during the first commercial break, Murphy concluding it by saying, “You are welcome here.”

UP NEXT

Canucks: at St. Louis on Tuesday night.

Blackhawks: host Dallas on Tuesday night.

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Tim Cronin, The Associated Press