The Canucks defeated the Sabres 3-2 on Tuesday night, sweeping the season series with Buffalo.
The Vancouver Canucks (43-18-8) snapped their mini two-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres (33-32-5) on Tuesday night. Elias Petterson and Conor Garland provided the offence, while Casey DeSmith stopped 15 of the 17 shots he faced for his ninth win of the season. With the victory, Vancouver improves their record to 22-7-4 at Rogers Arena while also picking up their 37th regulation win on the season.
While the score was close, the Canucks were the dominant team throughout. They outshot the Sabres by 17, with Devon Levi being the main reason Buffalo was still in the game after the first period. Whether at even strength or on special teams, Vancouver controlled play and limited the Sabres' offence to only seven high-danger scoring chances all night.
Quotes
Quinn Hughes, on his hit on Victor Olofsson:
"It's funny. You don't see that much from me, but yeah, it was a good feeling."
Quinn Hughes on the Canucks staying calm throughout the game:
"I don't know if there is ever panic in our game. I just think that sometimes there is a bad read here or there, or they just make a good play. For the most part, for the whole year, I don't know what our record is when leading after two; I think we are really good. Obviously, there are some really good players out there, and sometimes, there are going to be comebacks, but I think, for the most part, we've been pretty solid.
Rick Tocchet on Quinn Hughes' hit:
"It's a message around the league: Don't go over there with Quinn Hughes. It's true; you never know who may hit. It was a hell of a hit. I think at the bench, he was actually smiling. He liked it that much.
Rick Tocchet on the Canucks defensive structure:
"Commitment without the puck. When you hold it for a long time, I can't remember how long in the game, but there were only eight shots. I don't always look at the shot clock; you look at the quality chances. I don't think we gave up a lot. Casey (DeSmith) was there when we did. Casey had a great game for us, but I thought there was a commitment without the puck tonight. That's the way we gotta play. Unfortunately, we weren't built that way; we gotta make sure we play that kind of hockey. We aren't a run-and-gun team, and I think when we play that way, we have a chance to win every night."
Facts and Stats
- Scoring his 32nd career game-winning goal, Elias Pettersson ties Pavel Bure for fifth on Vancouver's all-time list
- Elias Pettersson becomes the eighth player in franchise history to score 10+ empty net goals
- Recording his 77th career multi-point game, Quinn Hughes ties Ryan Kesler for 23rd on the Canucks all-time 2+ point list
- Vancouver improves their record this season to 35-1-4 when leading after two periods
Scoring Summary
1st Period
VAN: 4:06- Conor Garland (14th) from Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson
2nd Period
VAN: 13:48- Elias Pettersson (32nd) from J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes (PPG)
3rd Period
BUF: 9:23- Rasums Dahlin (16th) from Owen Power and Alex Tuch
VAN: 18:09- Elias Pettersson (33rd) from J.T. Miller (ENG)
BUF: 19:38- Rasmus Dahlin (17th) from Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch
Canucks Next Opponent
Up next for the Canucks will be a visit from the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Vancouver defeated Montreal 5-2 in November and will be looking to extend their win streak against the Canadiens to three games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT from Rogers Arena.
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