Canucks end 2-game skid handing winless Chicago 5th consecutive loss
Thatcher Demko makes 29 saves, Conor Garland seals it with empty-netter
Jason Dickinson, Tanner Pearson and Brock Boeser scored their first goals of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat winless Chicago 4-1 on Thursday night in Chicago.
Coach Travis Green thought his team was solid on both sides of the puck as the Canucks rebounded from a 5-2 loss in Buffalo on Tuesday and limited Chicago's scoring chances.
"That was a good hockey game," Green said. "Not a lot of mistakes by our group. I thought we managed the puck well."
WATCH | Canucks down winless Chicago:
Demko faced a smattering of tough shots, but almost no rebounds or attempts that forced him to scramble.
"We sustained out style of play for a full 60 [minutes]," Demko said. "We did a good job in our zone making sure our bases were checked."
Alex DeBrincat scored a power-play goal for sputtering Chicago, which dropped to 0-4-1. Kevin Lankinen was sharp in stopping 21 shots, but Chicago again failed to cash in offensively despite outshooting the Canucks 30-25.
Chicago has been outscored 21-9 this season and haven't led in any of their five games.
Chicago hasn't been able to sustain consistent offensive pressure and and force opponents into mistakes.
"We've got to shoot the puck more," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "We've got to be at the net, give ourselves a chance to score dirty goals and let the puck go in off your and create rebounds. Ultimately, we've got to give ourselves a chance to get a bounce."
'We're a team that has to go to hard places to win'
Dickinson opened the scoring 6:36 into the first period, ripping a one-timer from the left circle over Lankinen's glove into the upper right corner of the net. Dickinson converted Matthew Highmore's pass from behind the net.
DeBrincat's power-play goal about two minutes later tied the game. He also connected on a one-timer from the left circle that found the upper right corner — set up by Patrick Kane with a cross-ice feed from the left side.
Pearson scored on a midair deflection of Quinn Hughes' high shot from the blue line at 9:55 of the second period to put Vancouver ahead 2-1.
Camped in front of the net and covered by Chicago's Calvin de Haan, Pearson redirected the puck downward and under Lankinen's glove as the Canucks capped a dominant shift.
Boeser made it 3-1 with 1:39 left the second, stuffing in a rebound from the left edge for the crease during a 5-on-3 power play after taking cross-ice pass from Elias Pettersson. Lankinen slid and made a right-pad save on Boeser's first attempt, but the Canucks forward followed through and popped the puck in.
It was the first power-play goal allowed this season by Chicago after they had killed 10 chances against them.
Chicago saluted Patrick Kane's 1,000th game in a pregame video tribute and on-ice ceremony. Kane played the milestone game back on March 9 in Dallas, but wanted to wait to celebrate it in front of a full crowd at the United Center.
Kane was joined by his family — including his girlfriend and infant son, Patrick Kane III — and received a silver stick from Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. The two stars broke into the NHL with Chicago in 2007 and anchored Stanley Cup championship teams in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Vancouver coach Travis Green was behind the bench for this 294th regular-season game with the Canucks, tying him with Bob McCammon for fourth-most games coached in franchise history.
