Canucks' hat trick hero Kiefer Sherwood gets candid about scoring breakaway goal with elite defender Cale Makar on his tail

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Dec 17, 2024 12:43 GMT

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Kiefer Sherwood’s first NHL hat trick was the highlight of the Vancouver Canucks' 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. His short-handed goal in the second period was a key moment. Sherwood picked off a puck near the benches and raced down the ice with Cale Makar chasing him.

He fired a quick shot over Mackenzie Blackwood’s glove to give Vancouver a 2-0 lead. The crowd responded with chants of “Kie-fer Sher-wood!” as the Canucks took control of the game.

After the game, Sherwood shared his thoughts on the goal and the pressure of having Makar behind him.

“I think it was a little stutter step when I got the puck because I was trying to be ready just in case,” he said (0:28). “After that, instinct just takes over and just turn on the jets, I guess.”

Sherwood knew the challenge of having players like Nathan MacKinnon and Makar close behind.

“I was just trying to go, just turn on the jets. I was a little hesitant when Nate was coming on, just because you’ve got to be aware of his speed,” he added. “But once I had it, I was just trying to put my head down and get it off quick because I knew that there were guys behind me.”

Cale Makar is one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He has a career plus-minus of 112 which shows Colorado’s defensive reliability on him. Playing over 25 minutes per game, Makar is reliable in all situations.

Makar won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman and was a key player in Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup victory.

Vancouver Canucks maintain dominance over Colorado Avalanche with Kiefer Sherwood's hat trick

Kiefer Sherwood scored his first goal at 16:14 in the first period by completing a rebound. Sherwood scored a shorthanded goal at 16:04 in the second period, intercepting a pass and beating goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.

Thatcher Demko made 30 saves in the game, including big stops on Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. Sherwood completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 17:25 of the third. Nichushkin scored with 46 seconds left, but it wasn't enough. Demko earned his first win of the season, and the Canucks improved to 16-9-5.