VANCOUVER — Adam Gaudette scored the shootout winner in the fifth round and the Ottawa Senators beat the Canucks 4-3 on Tuesday, snapping Vancouver’s six-game win streak.
The Canucks (38-28-11) took a 2-0 lead in the first period but stumbled through the second and third before dropping their first game since April 3.
Alex Formenton had a pair of goals in regulation for the Sens (29-41-7), while Parker Kelly scored and Nikita Zaitsev had a pair of assists.
J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser each had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, and Travis Dermott scored his first goal for the Canucks.
Ottawa’s Filip Gustavsson stopped 34 of 37 shots for his first win since Nov. 13.
Vancouver’s Jaroslav Halak stopped all 14 shots he faced in the first period but appeared to suffer an injury late in the frame and was replaced by Thatcher Demko to start the second. Demko, who backstopped the Canucks to a 6-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday, made 15 saves in relief.
The loss does damage to Vancouver’s fragile hopes of securing a playoff spot. The Canucks sit four points behind the Stars, who hold the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
Drake Batherson also scored for the Sens in the shootout and Miller beat Gustavsson for the Canucks.
Vancouver dominated overtime, not allowing Ottawa a single shot.
Demko denied Formenton a hat trick midway through the third, stretching out his left leg to make a last-second skate save on a shot from in tight.
Vancouver tied the score at 3-3 moments earlier when Boeser sent a pass to Dermott from behind the net and the defenceman fired in a shot from the top of the crease.
The tally marked Dermott’s first point in a Canucks jersey, coming in his 13th game with the team. The Toronto Maple Leafs dealt the blueliner to Vancouver for a third-round draft pick at the trade deadline in March.
The Senators took the lead 3:49 into the third when Formenton collected a loose puck along the boards and sprinted in for a breakaway, sending a wrist shot into the top corner to make it 3-2.
Kelly put away the equalizer 2:17 into the period with a shot from the hash marks that hit the crossbar and bounced off Demko’s back.
Vancouver outshot the visitors 16-8 in the second period but it was Ottawa that found the back of the net.
Tim Stutzle fired a shot from inside the blue line and Nikita Zaitsev tipped it from the high slot before Formenton directed it in past Demko, cutting the Sens’ deficit to a single goal at the 4:04 mark.
Demko led his team onto the ice for the second period and took over in Vancouver’s net.
Halak could be seen shaking his blocker hand after a skirmish in front of the crease in the final minutes of the opening frame. The Slovak netminder finished out the period but was not on the Canucks bench for the remainder of the game.
Defenceman Brad Hunt helped boost Vancouver’s lead to 2-0 midway through the first. Stationed below the goal line, he dished a pass to Boeser, who sniped a one-timer past Gustavsson for his 21st goal of the year.
Many fans had yet to settle into their seats when Vancouver opened the scoring on an early power play after Dylan Gambrell was sent to the box for tripping.
The Canucks were quick to capitalize, with Miller sending a blast past Gustavsson from the top of the faceoff circle 1:55 into the game.
The goal — coming on Vancouver’s first shot of the night — was Miller’s 30th of the season.
The Canucks kick off a two-game road trip on Thursday when they face the Wild in Minnesota. The Senators will take on the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Friday.
Notes: Miller joined Bo Horvat as the lone Canucks to hit the 30-goal mark this year. It’s the first time since 2010-11 that Vancouver has had more than one player reach the milestone. … Defenceman Travis Hamonic played against the Canucks for the first time since Vancouver dealt him to Ottawa for a third-round draft pick at the trade deadline in March. … Vancouver defenceman Quinn Hughes played his 200th regular-season NHL game.
