The Vancouver Canucks rallied themselves into the NHL record books Tuesday night.
The Canucks became the first team in league history to overcome a three-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation and go on to win the game when they beat the Dallas Stars 6-5.
Aatu Raty ignited the comeback with a goal at the 19:00 mark of the third to get Vancouver within two. Pius Suter scored a pair of goals 23 seconds apart at 19:30 and 19:53 to force overtime. Kiefer Sherwood buried the OT winner 3:44 into the extra frame.
"It's crazy, the resilience," Sherwood said, per Postmedia's Ben Kuzma. "I've never been a part of a team that just has so many crazy comebacks and so many rollercoaster come-from-behind games. It says a lot about the quality of the group. When adversity hits, we just dig in and execute and make things happen."
Head coach Rick Tocchet believes the victory can go a long way for a club that's endured a tumultuous season.
"I love the fight in the third period, and to do that is a character win for a lot of guys," he said. "It's huge for development. You're sitting on the bench as a young kid, and it’s 5-2, and it looks like we're going to lose.
"We score a goal and you see the fight and there wasn't guys hanging their heads. They were up on the bench and alive and cheering guys who were on the ice. That's big for development."
The Montreal Canadiens previously held the record for latest three-goal comeback in a regular-season game, potting a trio of goals in the final 3:22 against the Ottawa Senators in March 2014.
The Canucks trailed 3-0 for most of the game before Jake DeBrusk and Victor Mancini scored early in the third period. It's the 10th time in franchise history Vancouver has scored five goals in a third period, one shy of tying the club record for goals in a period.
The comeback victory kept Vancouver's slim playoff hopes alive. The Canucks sit six points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with four games remaining.
