The Canucks delivered a statement performance on Saturday, January 11th, shutting out the Maple Leafs 3-0 at Scotiabank Arena. A dominant defensive effort, coupled with timely scoring, silenced the Maple Leafs’ attack and handed Vancouver a resounding victory. The victory snapped a four-game losing skid for the Canucks, while Toronto suffered their second straight loss following a five-game win streak. Kevin Lankinen was stellar, turning aside all 20 shots he faced to record his fourth shutout of the season, tying him for second in the NHL. Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, and Kiefer Sherwood each found the back of the net to help Vancouver secure the win. The Maple Leafs host the Dallas Stars next in search of a win to make sure they don’t extend it to a three-game losing streak on Tuesday, and the Canucks head to Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Vancouver Canucks Lineup:
Hoglander – Miller – Garland
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Boeser
Heinen – Suter – Sherwood
Di Giuseppe – Blueger – Lekkerimaki
Hughes – Myers
Soucy – Forbort
Brisebois – Juulsen
Lankinen
Demko
Toronto Maple Leafs Lineup:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Pacioretty – Tavares – Nylander
McMann – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Kampf – Dewar
Rielly – Myers
Ekman-Larsson – Tanev
Benoit – Timmins
Hildeby
Woll
Just 31 seconds into the opening frame, Brock Boeser put the Canucks ahead 1-0 for an early lead with his 15th goal of the season. Tyler Myers took a pass from Elias Pettersson, who had been just above the right circle after the puck popped out from behind the net, and Myers’ point shot ended up deflecting in off of Boeser in the slot past Dennis Hildeby.
Quinn Hughes struck his ninth goal of the season late into the middle frame, extending the Canucks’ lead to 2-0 with 1:48 left to play in the second. After some passing back and forth, he got the puck, firing a point shot that had been swatted inadvertently into the net out of the air by Simon Benoit.
Early into the third, only 47 seconds into the final 20 minutes, Kiefer Sherwood increased it to 3-0 for Vancouver. Sherwood shot high to the glove side of Dennis Hildeby after taking a no-look drop pass in the right face-off circle from Quinn Hughes, who took a pass from Tyler Myers before carrying it from the blue line to the right circle before passing it off to Sherwood.
Game Notes:
– Quinn Hughes had a two-point night, recording a goal and collecting an assist, and Tyler Myers picked up a pair of assists for his two-point night.
– Brock Boeser reached the Top 10 in goals for the Canucks in franchise history with his game-opening goal.
– The Canucks are 1-1-2 on a five-game road trip that ends on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets.
– Vancouver: 19-13-10, Toronto: 27-15-2
– Dennis Hildeby made a total of 15 saves for the Maple Leafs.
– The Maple Leafs have been shutout three times this season.
– Auston Matthews had been held without a point, which put an end to his four-game point streak, three goals and five assists, since making his return to the lineup after missing six games due to an upper-body injury.
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