Canucks shut out by in-form Pittsburgh

VANCOUVER — Matt Murray made 27 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins shut out the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on Saturday night.

Jake Guentzel, defenceman Ian Cole and Conor Sheary, with an empty-netter, scored for the Penguins (43-16-8), who have won five straight, including a 3-2 shootout win on Friday in Edmonton, to move into sole possession of second place in the Metro Division ahead of Columbus.

The Canucks (28-31-9) took another hit to their already bleak playoffs hopes. With the St. Louis Blues’ beating the Islanders 4-3 the Canucks are now 10 points back for the second Wild Card spot in the West.

Vancouver starting goalie Ryan Miller was outstanding despite the loss, making a season-high 45 saves.

About eight minutes into the game, the Canucks looked to have scored first, with Daniel Sedin’s corner shot along the goal line ricocheting in off Michael Chaput’s skate. However, it was called off on goaltender interference thanks to a coach’s challenge.

Miller was tremendous in the second period. He made a monster save on Sheary from about six feet away on a delayed penalty call to the Canucks. On the ensuring power play he stoned Phil Kessel while flat on his stomach and then stopped Sheary again off a 2-on-1 late in the period.

However, the Penguins did break through with 3:36 left in the second, as Cole’s hard wrist shot near the blue line cleared traffic to beat Miller, who was being screened by Oskar Sundqvist.

The shot clock tilted 35-19 in Pittsburgh’s favour after two.

The Canucks had their second disallowed goal of the night early in the third when Sven Baertschi swatted in a puck while on the power play.

But Baertschi’s stick was deemed too high, much to the crowd’s chagrin.

At the other end, Murray robbed Henrik Sedin on a pointblank shot from the slot to preserve Pittsburgh’s lead in the third.

But it was Miller making the dazzling saves on Crosby and Chris Kunitz, until Guentzel scored on a beautiful pass from behind the net from Sheary to give Pittsburgh some insurance with just over two minutes left.

The Canucks’ Chris Tanev and Markus Granlund missed the game with food poisoning, bringing defenceman Alex Biega onto the fourth line and opening a slot for Philip Larsen.