Schneider bedevils Canucks … again

NEW JERSEY 2 VANCOUVER 0

VANCOUVER — Cory Schneider made 37 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 24th of his career Wednesday as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-0.

Jimmy Hayes and Drew Stafford, into an empty net, scored for New Jersey (9-2-0), which has won three straight and remains the NHL’s only team with a perfect road record (5-0-0) to sit atop the Metropolitan Division.

Taylor Hall added two assists and now has three goals and six assists in his last eight games against the Canucks.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 shots for Vancouver (6-4-2).

Traded by the Canucks to the Devils for the ninth overall pick at the 2013 draft that Vancouver used to select centre Bo Horvat, Schneider improved to 5-1-2 against his former team with a .940 save percentage.

New Jersey snapped the scoreless tie at 10:09 of the second period after Canucks rookie Brock Boeser saw his shot blocked in the offensive zone.

The Devils raced the other way, with Markstrom stopping Hall’s initial shot on a 2-on-1, but the puck bounced past Vancouver’s backcheckers right to Hayes, who blasted a one-timer that appeared to deflect off a sprawling Boeser.

Wednesday’s game marked the return of New Jersey forward Brian Boyle, who announced on Sept. 19 that he was battling myelogenous leukemia, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer. EDMONTON — Evgeni Malkin scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a two-game losing skid with a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins (8-5-1).

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers (3-7-1), who continue to struggle with four losses in their last five games.