Music: {allcanada} Schneider stops 47 shots, Canucks top Blue Jackets

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

{allcanada} Schneider stops 47 shots, Canucks top Blue Jackets

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)—Cory Schneider (notes) stopped 47 shots for his fifth straight victory as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Schneider, filling in spectacularly for the injured Roberto Luongo (notes), has given up just four goals in his winning streak, including two shutouts.

Daniel Sedin (notes), David Booth (notes), Ryan Kesler (notes) and Alex Burrows scored to help the Canucks win their fifth straight.

Samuel Pahlsson (notes) had the only goal for Columbus, which lost for the second time in three games. Curtis Sanford (notes), who spent two seasons with Vancouver, made some stellar stops while recording 30 saves, but caught some bad breaks.

The Blue Jackets fell short despite outshooting the Canucks 48-34. Columbus finished 0 for 3 on the power play, while Vancouver was 0 for 2.

The Canucks scored twice in the first period and took the lead into the third after a scoreless middle period.

Sedin opened the scoring 3:19 into the game after Alex Edler's point shot hit his skate, and the Swede was left with an open net as Sanford was moving to stop the slap shot that never arrived.

Booth made it 2-0 with 2:18 to go in the first, poking the puck past Sanford after Dan Hamhuis'(notes) pass from the far corner grazed teammate Chris Higgins (notes) and then hit Columbus defenseman Fedor Tyutin's (notes) skate. The goal was Booth's second in three games after he struggled following an early-season trade from Florida.

Between the two goals, Schneider made a number of excellent saves. Jeff Carter (notes) managed to squeeze a shot through the Canucks' goalie, but the puck trickled wide of the goalpost.

Early in the second period, Schneider stopped Rick Nash (notes) after the puck caromed off skates and he tried to jam it in. About a minute later, Sanford robbed Jannik Hansen (notes) on a one-timer. Then Schneider made several saves during a Columbus power play, when he also caught a break as Mark Letestu (notes) rang a shot off the post.

Pahlsson's first goal of the season cut Vancouver's lead to 2-1 at 4:27 of the third period as whipped in a rebound while Columbus was short-handed.

Kesler replied 1:28 later, roofing a slap shot from the faceoff circle after Burrows faked a shot, freezing Sanford, and then passed. The goal came just 4 seconds after a Vancouver power play expired.

It was the third goal in four games for Kesler, who had struggled following offseason hip surgery that forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason. He now has points in five straight games.

Burrows added an empty-netter in the final minute.

NOTES: Vancouver D Aaron Rome (notes) remained out with a hand injury while C Andrew Ebbett (notes) missed his eighth game due to a fractured foot. … Blue Jackets LW Vinny Prospal (notes) needs one more point for 700 in his career. … Canucks D Sami Salo (notes), 37, assisted on Sedin's goal and is on pace for a career-high 48 points.