Conor Garland scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the Vancouver Canucks got back on track with a 2-1 victory over the host Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Garland snapped an eight-game goal drought when he redirected Nikita Zadorov’s pass past Lukas Dostal at 3:34 of the second period to puck the Canucks back on top. It was Garland’s first game-winner since he scored in overtime against the Arizona Coyotes last April 13.
The Canucks went back on top of the Western Conference with 85 points after snapping a two-game losing streak. Vancouver had also dropped six of its last seven coming into the game.
Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander also scored. Casey DeSmith picked up his first win since Jan. 9 with 18 saves. He had a 4.67 goals-against average and 83.3% save percentage in his last four starts.
SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM BIG Z TO GARLAND! 📦 pic.twitter.com/BArkhusQly
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 4, 2024
Alex Killorn scored for Anaheim and Dostal stopped 29 shots as the Ducks were looking for their first three-game winning streak since early November.
Both teams ended up scoring on their first shot. Hoglander put in his 19th of the season and second in the last three games from the slot 97 seconds into the game on a wrist shot from the slot.
Filip Hronek had the second assist to reach 40 this season. It is the first time in franchise history the Canucks have had multiple defensemen with at least 40 assists in a season. Quinn Hughes leads NHL blueliners with 59.
Killorn evened it at 4:15 with a wrist shot from an angle near the goal line that just got past DeSmith’s left leg and into the short side of the net. Three of Kilorn’s eight goals have come in the past six games.
The Ducks were missing goaltender John Gibson (illness) and forwards Mason McTavish (lower body) and Leo Carlsson (upper body). McTavish and Carlsson were both injured in Friday’s 4-3 win over New Jersey.
READ MORE: Canucks sign star centre Pettersson to 8-year contract extension
Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers missed his first game this season due to an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Remain in Southern California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
Ducks: Host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
