Music: {allcanada} Burrows scores in return, Canucks shut out Devils

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

{allcanada} Burrows scores in return, Canucks shut out Devils

While You Were Sleeping / The Muppet Christmas Carol

VANCOUVER -- Alexandre Burrows scored in his first game back after missing two with an upper-body injury, and Ryan Miller made 20 saves to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

Shawn Matthias scored a breakaway goal with 5:23 left in the third to give the Canucks (15-6-1) some breathing room.

After an emotional ceremony to honor former Canucks coach, general manager and president Pat Quinn, who died Sunday at 71, Vancouver dominated New Jersey, taking the first 10 shots on the way to its third win in four games.

Cory Schneider made 34 saves for the Devils, who have lost four of the past five (1-3-1). New Jersey wrapped up its four-game Canadian road trip.

Schneider was back in goal after getting his first break of the season Saturday. He broke Martin Brodeur's franchise record by making 20 straight starts to begin the season.

It was Schneider's second visit since being traded to the Devils at the 2013 NHL Draft, and the Canucks welcomed him back with a flurry of activity.

Schneider was forced to make a couple point-blank stops off Nick Bonino during a scramble in front of his net 1:20 into the game, setting the tone for a first period that saw Vancouver outshoot New Jersey 17-6.

The Devils (9-10-3) didn't get their first shot on goal until 8:34, and they got a break when Henrik Sedin kicked the puck past his stick and an open net with Schneider stranded at the other side of the crease a few minutes later.

Defenseman Kevin Bieksa blasted a shot off Schneider's mask on a power play shortly after Sedin's missed opportunity, but the Devils goalie managed to keep it scoreless, at least until early in the second period.

Bieksa corralled a clearing attempt by Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky at the right point. Instead of shooting, he fired a hard slap pass backdoor to Burrows, who beat Zidlicky to the edge of the crease for an easy tap-in.

It was Burrows' fifth goal, matching his total during an injury-ravaged 2013-14 season. He rang another shot off the post on a 2-on-1 midway through the third period.

Miller wasn't busy but made a couple good saves to preserve his second shutout of the season, the 31st of his career.

Miller came out quickly to challenge a wide-open Andy Greene after a nice cross-ice pass from down low late in the first period. The Canucks goalie got a piece of Greene's high shot.

Miller did the same against Martin Havlat on a 2-on-1 six minutes into the third period, taking the high wrist shot off the mask, and stepped off his post to deny Dainius Zubrus from the left faceoff dot after a pass from behind the net 13 seconds later.

New Jersey appeared to get life after Vancouver defenseman Luca Sbisa landed a big hit on 42-year-old forward Jaromir Jagr, who had been the Devils' best skater, with about eight minutes left in the game.

Former Canucks forward Steve Bernier had a great chance to tie the game alone in the slot with seven minutes left, but he fired off Miller's left pad, and Matthias added the insurance goal 90 seconds later.

Sent in alone, Matthias's backhand deke was stopped by Schneider, but the rebound went in off the skate of Zidlicky as he tried to stop.

A Christmas Carol / Little Women (1994) / Wrapped In Red - Kelly Clarkson