Hansen ignites twins, Canucks halt skid
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Putting Jannik Hansen on the top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin worked out well for the Vancouver Canucks.
Brandon Sutter scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:08 remaining, and Hansen had a career-high four points with a goal and three assists, to lift the Canucks to a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
“He skates well, Jannik fit in,” Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said of slotting him on the right side. “He’s played well though this whole year.”
That line picked the Columbus defence apart, getting behind them and finding open seams all night.
Henrik Sedin had two goals and an assist and Daniel Sedin added a goal and three assists to help the Canucks snap a three-game losing streak. The weary Canucks were playing their third game in four days in the midst of a seasonhigh, seven-game road trip.
“We just stuck with our game and just found a way,” said Sutter, who has two game-winning goals in his first season with Vancouver. “On the road you need to do that and our goalie played well.”
Jacob Markstrom, out since Oct. 9 with a hamstring injury, stopped 42 shots in his season debut. His best stop came in the third period when he dove across the goal mouth, keeping the puck out with the shaft of his stick.
“He was great,” Sutter said. “The goals we gave them, not much he could do there. Not goals or chances you want to give up. He played really well.”
Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist, and Jack Johnson and Cam Atkinson also scored for the Blue Jackets, who remain the only NHL team without a home win this season (0-6-0). Ryan Johansen had two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky had 25 saves in coach John Tortorella’s first game against his former team.
Columbus took the lead in the third period but it all fell apart on home ice, again, for the Blue Jackets. Tied 2-2 in the third period, a buzzing Atkinson scored on a breakaway to give Columubs the lead at 8:01. But just over two minutes later, Henrik Sedin and Sutter scored in a span of 4:47 to put the Canucks ahead for good.
“We score two power-play goals, we scored short-handed to go up 3-2,” said Tortorella. “We were working, forechecking, creating chance after chance but we just find a way to lose. Their goals were just freebies.”
Again breaking free of coverage, Hansen slid a pass from the left side to Sedin for the tap in to tie the score. Sutter then motored down the left wing around Ryan Murray and curled the puck past Bobrovsky for his fourth.
“That was a big goal for us,” Sutter said. “We just needed a win.”
Henrik Sedin added an empty-netter for his fifth with 1:39 remaining to close the scoring.
“It’s nice, you get a lot of opportunities,” Hansen said of playing with the Sedins. “It’s a matter of getting open for them and finding them and getting them the puck.”
Maple Leafs 3, Stars 2
DALLAS — Jake Gardiner scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars.
P.A. Parenteau tied it earlier in the third, and Peter Holland scored late in the first period for Toronto. James Reimer finished with 36 saves.
Patrick Sharp had the tying goal for Dallas in the second period, and Vernon Fiddler gave the Stars the lead early in the third. Antti Niemi had 27 saves.