In a game that will be etched into NHL history, the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a miracle comeback on the road against the Dallas Stars — scoring three goals in the final 60 seconds of regulation and completing the improbable turnaround in overtime to win 6–5. It marked the first time in league history that a team erased a three-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation and went on to win.
The Power Play Pile-Up
For much of Wednesday night, this matchup looked like a predictable result — a lopsided win for a playoff-bound Dallas team, and another nail in the coffin for Vancouver’s fading postseason hopes. Through two periods, Dallas built a 3–0 lead, with all goals coming on the power play. Vancouver looked undisciplined, outmatched, and lifeless.
But a sliver of momentum arrived late in the second when Aatu Räty drew a cross-checking penalty, giving the Canucks a power play to open the third. Jake DeBrusk converted, giving the visitors a much-needed jolt. Later in the third, after Teddy Blueger was high-sticked by Mason Marchment, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini buried his first goal as a Canuck — and only the second of his young NHL career — to make it 4–2.
It seemed like Vancouver had some life. Then, just as quickly, Dallas punched back with an even-strength goal with under three minutes remaining. A 5–2 lead with less than three minutes on the clock felt insurmountable. The Stars appeared to have locked up two more points on their hunt for the Central Division title. Most fans — and maybe even players — assumed the game was over.
60 Seconds of Chaos
What followed in the final minute was nothing short of cinematic.
With 1:00 left in regulation, Räty lit the lamp to make it 5–3. Just thirty seconds later, Pius Suter added another — his 23rd goal of the season — and suddenly it was a one-goal game with 30 seconds still to play. Vancouver pulled goalie Thatcher Demko again, rolling six attackers for one last surge. With only seven seconds left, Suter struck again, tying the game 5–5 and stunning the Dallas crowd into silence.
In just 53 seconds, the Canucks had scored three goals — all with an empty net — to erase a deficit that would’ve been considered impossible to overcome. It was the kind of comeback you’d only expect in video games or movies, not on the road against a top-tier NHL team.
Sherwood Seals It
Once the game hit overtime, the momentum was unmistakably on Vancouver’s side. The Stars, despite clinching a playoff berth and chasing the Jets for first in the Central, looked shell-shocked. Their energy faded. Their structure collapsed.
Three minutes and 44 seconds into OT, Kiefer Sherwood capped the comeback with his 18th goal of the season, taking a slick behind-the-net pass from Connor Garland and ripping a shot past Casey DeSmith.
“Says a lot about the group,” Sherwood said postgame. “‘Gar’ just made an absolute crazy play. Kind of felt like slow motion, got his head up and put it on my tape.”
The Canucks bench erupted. They weren’t just winners — they were history-makers.
The Stats and the Stakes
With the win, Vancouver moved to 36-29-13 on the season, bringing their total to 85 points and placing them fifth in the Pacific Division. They remain six points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference wild card spot, but with four games left, there’s still a path — however narrow — to playoff hockey. This comeback might just be the adrenaline boost they need to sprint through the finish line.
Dallas, meanwhile, took a brutal blow. Despite already securing a postseason berth, the loss leaves them four points behind the Winnipeg Jets in the race for the Central Division crown. More importantly, the way in which they lost raised serious concerns.
“That game should have been wrapped up,” said Stars captain Jamie Benn. “We should have found a way to get it done there.”
Tocchet’s Take
Head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t mince words in praising his squad:
“That’s got to be one up there,” he said of the comeback. “I loved the fight, obviously, in the third period. To do that is a character win for a lot of guys, for the team.”
Even Tocchet’s son chimed in with a text: “You looked like last year’s team in the third.”
It’s true — this was the same team that topped the Pacific Division a season ago. The same team that, at their best, played with urgency, speed, and cohesion. That identity had been missing for most of the season. But for one glorious third period, it came roaring back.
A Historic Night
The Canucks' last-minute magic is now part of NHL lore. Never before had a team scored three goals in the final minute of regulation and gone on to win. This wasn’t just about the standings or the Stars’ slip-up — it was about resilience, belief, and the idea that in hockey, anything really is possible.
With four games left and a sliver of hope still intact, the Canucks sent a message: Don’t count us out just yet.
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