Music: {allcanada} Canucks blank Oilers, grab first in Northwest Division

Thursday, April 4, 2013

{allcanada} Canucks blank Oilers, grab first in Northwest Division

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks learned their lesson and got some revenge against the young, high-octane Edmonton Oilers.

After being blitzed early in a 4-0 loss to the Oilers five days earlier, the Canucks tightened up defensively in the rematch on Thursday night, with Cory Schneider needing just 12 saves through 40 minutes and 23 overall while backstopping a 4-0 victory that ended Edmonton's winning streak at five games.

Kevin Bieksa scored during a 5-on-3 power play, Henrik Sedin finished off a pretty passing play with twin brother Daniel and recently re-signed Chris Higgins finished off a 2-on-1 from trade deadline addition Derek Roy. Zack Kassian, recalled from the American Hockey League after a one-game demotion, rounded out the scoring on a rebound with 3.9 seconds left as the Canucks moved two points ahead of the Minnesota Wild atop the Northwest Division.

The win snapped a two-game skid that started Saturday in Edmonton. Schneider was also in goal for that loss, but was beaten on the first two shots before giving way to Roberto Luongo just two minutes in.

This time he made it through to the end for his fourth shutout of the season and the eighth of his career.

Nikolai Khabibulin started in goal for Edmonton, the only lineup change from an 8-2 romp over the Calgary Flames the night before, and kept it close with several great saves while the Oilers were being outshot 13-5 in the first period. Khabibulin finished with 24 saves, but after outscoring opponents 25-7

during the win streak, the offense was silent against the Canucks, dropping the Oilers to ninth place, one point out of the playoffs in the Western Conference.

After failing to record a shot on the first chance, the Canucks' struggling power play finally converted shortly after giving up a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush on their second. Daniel Sedin hustled back to break up that play and threw the puck up the boards, catching the Oilers with too many men on the ice. That gave Vancouver a two-man advantage for 1:07, and Bieksa ended a couple droughts with a one-timer from the top of the left circle that beat Khabibulin on the blocker side.

The goal, with 4:39 left in the first period, was Bieksa's first in 14 games -- and just the third in 21 games for a 29th-ranked power play, ending a 2-for-53 slump.

Henrik Sedin doubled lead with 5:34 left in the second period, passing out from behind the net to his brother atop the right circle then sneaking unnoticed to other side of the net for a nice return feed past two defenders. Henrik was still below the goal line as the saucer pass came back to him, but had lots of time to lift the puck over a sprawling Khabibulin from a sharp angle.

Schneider made his best saves on Edmonton power plays in the third period, stuffing Magnus Paajarvi early and making a gloved robbery of Taylor Hall, who came in with 15 points on a six-game streak, with five minutes left.

Higgins and Roy finally converted one of the many chances they generated to the third goal 6:47 into the final period.

Roy, who was acquired from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday for a second-round draft pick and prospect defenseman Kevin Connauton, set up Higgins, who signed a four-year, $10-million extension hours later, several times. Khabibulin made two great blocker stops on Higgins in the slot early, but had little chance on the 2-on-1, with Roy lifting a soft back-door pass that a charging Higgins one-touched past the sprawled goaltender's blocker.

Roy also played on the second power-play unit, and helped kill and draw penalties, providing a missing push that led to five power plays – two more than the last three games combined.

Kassian, who scored five goals in the first seven games but none since, banged in a rebound in the dying seconds to round out the scoring.