gusman
01-24-2010, 05:56 AM
From NHL.com
Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -Mikael Samuelsson, Henrik Sedin and Steve Bernier scored in the first period and Roberto Luongo made 43 saves in the Vancouver Canucks' 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews scored 3:30 into the third period, but Henrik Sedin added his second goal 32 seconds later. Vancouver won its fourth straight to move into a tie with Colorado atop the Northwest Division.
Daniel Sedin, who also had two assists, rounded out the scoring on a 2-on-1 pass from twin brother Henrik with 1:26 left as the No. 1 line combined for nine points. Alex Burrows had three assists to extend his point streak to 11 games (13 goals, 5 assists). Henrik has an NHL-leading point total to 74.
Chicago backup Antii Niemi got consecutive starts ahead of No. 1 goalie Cristobal Huet for the first time all season, but didn't last long. Huet started the second period after Niemi gave up three goals on 12 shots.
The Canucks were missing top-4 defensemen Sami Salo (groin), Willie Mitchell (upper body) and Kevin Bieksa (lacerated ankle tendons), and was outshot 44-28 by the NHL's third highest scoring team. Still, Vancouver led 3-0 after 20 minutes.
Samuelsson opened the scoring 7:19 in after a great play by Ryan Kesler, who hit the post off the rush and chased down the loose puck at the side of the net. He batted it through the crease to leave Samuelsson with an open net.
Henrik Sedin doubled the lead 3:02 later after his sharp-angle shot from Niemi's left was stopped. He continued behind the net as the puck trickled off the goalie and through the crease, emerging at the other side to knock it in.
After Patrick Kane rang a shot off the post behind Luongo a minute later, Bernier scored his first goal in 11 games to make it 3-0 with 1:38 left in the first.
Huet stopped 14 of 16 shots as Chicago lost in regulation for just the fourth time in 17 games and dropped to 3-2 on a season-high, eight-game road trip.
Despite a depleted defense, Luongo only needed a handful of great saves. He got a glove on Kane's shot 19 seconds in, stopped backhanders by Ben Eager in close twice on the same play midway through the second, and made a fully extended glove save off Cam Barker's power play drive early in the third.
NOTES: Canucks D Nolan Baumgartner, 33, was called up from the AHL after Salo got hurt Thursday and played in his first NHL game since the 2006-07 season. ... Salo and Mitchell are day to day, but Bieksa is out indefinitely. ... Canucks C Pavol Demitra's assist on Bernier's goal was his first point in four games since missing nine months with a shoulder injury sustained against Chicago in the second round of last year's playoffs. ... Niemi, who beat the Canucks 1-0 win on Nov. 22, came in with a better goals-against (1.85 to 2.24) and save percentage (.923 to .904) than Huet. ... Vancouver C Rick Rypien missed a third game (flu).
Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -Mikael Samuelsson, Henrik Sedin and Steve Bernier scored in the first period and Roberto Luongo made 43 saves in the Vancouver Canucks' 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews scored 3:30 into the third period, but Henrik Sedin added his second goal 32 seconds later. Vancouver won its fourth straight to move into a tie with Colorado atop the Northwest Division.
Daniel Sedin, who also had two assists, rounded out the scoring on a 2-on-1 pass from twin brother Henrik with 1:26 left as the No. 1 line combined for nine points. Alex Burrows had three assists to extend his point streak to 11 games (13 goals, 5 assists). Henrik has an NHL-leading point total to 74.
Chicago backup Antii Niemi got consecutive starts ahead of No. 1 goalie Cristobal Huet for the first time all season, but didn't last long. Huet started the second period after Niemi gave up three goals on 12 shots.
The Canucks were missing top-4 defensemen Sami Salo (groin), Willie Mitchell (upper body) and Kevin Bieksa (lacerated ankle tendons), and was outshot 44-28 by the NHL's third highest scoring team. Still, Vancouver led 3-0 after 20 minutes.
Samuelsson opened the scoring 7:19 in after a great play by Ryan Kesler, who hit the post off the rush and chased down the loose puck at the side of the net. He batted it through the crease to leave Samuelsson with an open net.
Henrik Sedin doubled the lead 3:02 later after his sharp-angle shot from Niemi's left was stopped. He continued behind the net as the puck trickled off the goalie and through the crease, emerging at the other side to knock it in.
After Patrick Kane rang a shot off the post behind Luongo a minute later, Bernier scored his first goal in 11 games to make it 3-0 with 1:38 left in the first.
Huet stopped 14 of 16 shots as Chicago lost in regulation for just the fourth time in 17 games and dropped to 3-2 on a season-high, eight-game road trip.
Despite a depleted defense, Luongo only needed a handful of great saves. He got a glove on Kane's shot 19 seconds in, stopped backhanders by Ben Eager in close twice on the same play midway through the second, and made a fully extended glove save off Cam Barker's power play drive early in the third.
NOTES: Canucks D Nolan Baumgartner, 33, was called up from the AHL after Salo got hurt Thursday and played in his first NHL game since the 2006-07 season. ... Salo and Mitchell are day to day, but Bieksa is out indefinitely. ... Canucks C Pavol Demitra's assist on Bernier's goal was his first point in four games since missing nine months with a shoulder injury sustained against Chicago in the second round of last year's playoffs. ... Niemi, who beat the Canucks 1-0 win on Nov. 22, came in with a better goals-against (1.85 to 2.24) and save percentage (.923 to .904) than Huet. ... Vancouver C Rick Rypien missed a third game (flu).