Not a bad way to go into Christmas. The Vancouver Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks by a 4-3 margin at home. While the score was the right result, the process wasn’t exactly to plan.

Elias Pettersson scored two goals 44 seconds apart in the second period to snap a seven-game scoring drought and the Vancouver Canucks held on to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3.

Cody Ceci cut it to 4-2 at 4:21 of the third period with a slap shot from the top of the right circle that hit defenseman Derek Forbort in the leg and deflected through Demko. Luke Kunin scored on a rebound with Askarov pulled for an extra attacker for the 4-3 final at 19:54.

The Christmas spirit of giving and receiving was alive Monday at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks gave their faithful followers reason to rejoice when captain Quinn Hughes, who was a game-time decision after enduring ailments Saturday against the Ottawa Senators,

As for the heatmap, the Canucks did a good job of protecting the net. While San Jose was able to generate scoring chances, Thatcher Demko only faced five high-danger shots, stopping all of them. In the end, Vancouver did a good job protecting the front of the net, especially in the third period.

The Vancouver Canucks gave the fans and themselves the perfect gift before Christmas: a 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks. Head Coach Rick Tocchet felt it was a good game overall and that it was a win by committee.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson left the bench in the third period and did not return against the San Jose Sharks. Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet