The Vancouver Canucks edged the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Monday to notch their season-high fifth consecutive win.
Brad Lukowich, a minor league call-up who had scored once in the last three seasons, was the unlikely game winner, taking a between-the-legs pass from Daniel Sedin and driving it past Sabres netminder Ryan Miller at 5:21 in the third period.
“It’s been almost two years now, so it’s been a while, that’s why I looked to the heavens,” Defenseman Lukowich told reporters. “I just put my stick down and screamed like crazy.”
The victory continued the Canucks winning streak as they prepare to play their final home game against the St Louis Blues today then head out on one of the NHL’s longest ever road trips as Olympic organizers take over GM Place.
It will be almost two months before the Canucks return home for a March 13 date with the Ottawa Senators, a long stretch of 14 away games that will be split up by the NHL’s Olympic break.
Of their recent five-game run, four of the Canucks wins have come at GM Place.
If the Canucks needed a reminder of how tough a grind life away from home can be, they only needed to look across the ice at the road weary Sabres, who suffered their fourth straight defeat to end a seven-game road trip.
Making their first visit to Vancouver in four years, the Sabres will be in no rush to return having gone more than a decade without a win in the Olympic city, their last victory coming on Feb. 28, 1999.
The early part of the contest featured a goaltending duel between two players expected to play prominent roles in next month’s Winter Games.
Roberto Luongo, who is bidding for the starting role in the Canadian net was solid, handling 32 shots while Miller, the man expected to get the starting assignment in the US cage, faced 25.
Buffalo opened the scoring at 3:13 in the second period with Adam Mair’s first of the season but the Canucks answered with goals from Mikael Samuelsson at 8:13 and the NHL’s leading points scorer Henrik Sedin on a breakaway two minutes later.
Buffalo pulled level early in the final period on a powerplay score from Thomas Vanek before Vancouver regained the lead on Lukowich’s goal.
In other NHL games it was:
• Penguins 4, Rangers 2
• Blues 2, Flames 0
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and