Canucks snap seven-game skid
CHICAGO — The Vancouver Canucks have struggled to score since rookie Brock Boeser was shelved by a back injury.
They got some help Thursday night from an unlikely source.
Alexander Edler scored twice in his fourth career multigoal game, and the Canucks stopped a sevengame losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the sliding Chicago Blackhawks.
Henrik Sedin and Bo Horvat each had a goal and an assist as Vancouver won for the first time since Boeser got hurt late in regulation of a 4-3 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on March 5. The Canucks (26-39-9) scored seven goals during their slide, which included three consecutive shutouts.
“I don’t think we played a perfect game, but it was nice to get a win,” Edler said.
Chicago (30-36-9) closed out a three-game homestand with its fifth consecutive loss. JeanFrancois Berube was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 18 shots, and Anton Forsberg finished with eight saves.
The Blackhawks played without captain Jonathan Toews, who is out with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated next week. Toews got hurt during Tuesday night’s 5-1 loss to Colorado, which officially eliminated Chicago from playoff contention.
Nick Schmaltz and Matthew Highmore scored for Chicago, which has lost seven of eight overall. The Blackhawks have allowed at least five goals in each of their last five games.
“It’s something we’re working on. We talk every day about limiting other team’s chances,” Schmaltz said. “Whether we’re not coming back hard enough or turning pucks over at the blue line, I think we can do a better job of that.”
Schmaltz picked up his 21st of the season when he got a piece of Brent Seabrook’s big slap shot from the right circle at 8:02 of the first, tying it at 1. The Canucks took over from there.
Sedin made it 2-1 when he jumped on a rebound and knocked it by Berube with 2:18 left in the first. It was Sedin’s first goal since Nov. 14 and just his third of the season.
“It’s a good feeling, but I put zero thought into not scoring,” Sedin said. “I felt good for the most part. I mean two goals is not good, but there’s been other guys scoring around me. That’s helped.”
Horvat scored on a rush in the second, and Edler chased Berube when he sent a long slap shot under the goaltender’s left arm 9:38 into the period. The veteran defenceman matched his career best with his first two-goal game since 2011 and No. 4 overall.
“You need offence from your back end,” coach Travis Green said. “Nice to see Eddie get a couple goals tonight.”
Brent Sutter added his eighth 3:24 into the third, making it 5-1 Vancouver. The Blackhawks got one back when Highmore scored with 3:33 left, but the Canucks were never seriously threatened.
“I think we’re doing a lot of good things,” Highmore said. “It’s just momentary lapses. In this league, if you don’t play a full 60 minutes, teams make you pay.”
NOTES: Canucks F Brendan Leipsic departed with an upperbody injury . ... Horvat reached 20 goals for the second straight season. “To get it in back-to-back years, that gives me confidence moving forward,” he said . ... Highmore returned to the lineup after he missed the loss to Colorado with an upper-body injury . ... The Canucks are in St. Louis tonight LIGHTNING 7, ISLANDERS 6 J.T. Miller scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and high-scoring Tampa Bay held off New York.
Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Victor Hedman each added a goal and an assist, Tyler Johnson also scored, and Braydon Coburn and Yanni Gourde each had two assists.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for his NHL-leading 42nd victory, extending Tampa Bay's franchise record. The Lightning improved to 12-2-1 in their last 15 games, extending their Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division leads to six points over idle Boston.
Anders Lee, Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier each scored twice for the Islanders. They lost for the 12th time in 14 games (2-84). CAPITALS 1, RED WINGS 0 Philipp Grubauer made 39 saves for his third shutout of the season, and Brett Connolly scored on a third-period breakaway to lift Washington past Detroit Red.
The Capitals have won six of seven and lead Pittsburgh and Columbus by four points atop the Metropolitan Division as the regular season winds down. Washington has turned increasingly to Grubauer of late after Braden Holtby struggled in February and at the beginning of March. Holtby wasn't available Thursday because of an injury coach Barry Trotz described as a tweak.
The Capitals took the lead with 13:19 remaining in the game after Detroit defenceman Xavier Ouellet couldn't control the puck near Washington's blue line. Connolly and teammate Jakub Vrana went the other way on a two-man breakaway, and Connolly beat Jimmy Howard with a wrist shot to the glove side.
MAPLE LEAFS 5, PREDATORS 2
Auston Matthews had a goal in his return from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 10 games and Toronto beat Nashville. The Predators had been 14-0-1 since their previous regulation loss on Feb. 17. James van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner each had a goal and an assist, and William Nylander and Jake Gardiner also scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs have won five of six.
Morgan Rielly had three assists for the Maple Leafs, and Tyler Bozak had two. Frederik Andersen stopped 23 shots. Viktor Arvidsson and Scott Hartnell scored for Nashville.