Wednesday, October 29, 2014
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Richardson scores twice as Canucks top Hurricanes

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[October 29, 2014]  VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Brad Richardson knew it was time for the third line to step up.

The right winger scored two goals and got into a third-period fight, and left winger Zack Kassian dished out a game-high eight hits as the Vancouver Canucks posted a 4-1 victory over Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Carolina (0-6-2) remains the NHL's lone winless team. Vancouver (6-3-0) won for the third time in four games.

Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 29 shots to earn his 300th career victory.

Richardson admitted he was feeling the pressure after not scoring in eight games this season. He got his first of the year on a wrist shot with the game just 92 seconds old, then sealed the win by scoring into an empty net in the dying seconds of the third.

"It was nice to get the zero off the boards," Richardson said. "You get to that 10-game mark, you don't want to be sitting there with zeros."

Most of the Canucks' scoring this season has come from the top line of center Henrik Sedin, left winger Daniel Sedin and right winger Radim Vrbata.

Against Carolina, the third line of Richardson, Kassian and center Shawn Matthias not only showed some offensive skill put played very physically.
 


"I thought that was probably our best game as a line," Richardson said. "It has to come every night. We have a couple of big guys on our line. We can turn the tide of a game and get them on their heels a little bit."

Miller didn't have to make many tough saves during the game but was satisfied with reaching the 300-win plateau.

"It feels good," said Miller, signed as a free agent this summer after playing 11 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and then completing last season with the St. Louis Blues. "It's a collection of a lot of good teams and a lot of good players over the years. It's been a lot of fun. This win, with this group, feels good."

Richardson said Miller's play is one reason why the Canucks are off to a strong start.

"He's been unbelievable all year," Richardson said. "He probably kept us in that game. Too bad we couldn't get him the shutout."

Right winger Linden Vey, on the power play, and right winger Jannik Hansen also scored for Vancouver.

Left winger Jiri Tlusty scored for Carolina in the third period. Center Eric Staal, the Carolina captain who returned to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury, earned an assist.

It was another frustrating night for the Hurricanes. They were outplayed most of the game and couldn't convert on the chances they had.

"It's just execution," Staal said. "We just weren't good enough.

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"We didn't deserve to win. We didn't move the puck well enough, and it causes turnovers and causes you to play in your end, and that wasn't an area where we were strong."

Coach Bill Peters said the Hurricanes have to return home and regroup. After a five-game road trip, Carolina plays host to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.

"We're not happy with where we are at, obviously," Peters said. "We need to reset for sure. We have to be honest about our commitment and our focus and our willingness to do what it takes to win."

The Canucks rattled the Hurricanes with Richardson's early goal. Vey doubled the lead in the first minute of the second period. Hansen made it 3-0 with 1:21 left in the second when he deflected a shot by defenseman Yannick Weber past Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

"Those are huge (for) momentum," said Hansen of scoring late in the period. "They are trying to get a little bit of spark, and we were able to put one past them. It's never fun to be on the receiving end of those ones."

Miller said getting the early lead opened up the ice for Vancouver.

"When we have our legs and we are skating, we can really apply some pressure," he said. "We have got off to some great starts in some of these games. It's good to see them get rewarded."

NOTES: Vancouver C Henrik Sedin missed Monday's practice due to a "maintenance" day and Tuesday morning's optional skate but dressed for the game. ... D Ryan Stanton, out with a groin injury, practiced with the Canucks for a second day and is close to playing. ... The Canucks end a three-game homestand by facing the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. ... Hurricanes LW Jeff Skinner, who missed the first four games of the season with a concussion, scored his first goal of the season in Carolina's 6-3 loss to Edmonton Friday. ... The Hurricanes set a franchise record for longest winless streak to start the season, beating the previous high of five games in 1987 and 2003. ... Carolina last won in Vancouver on Oct. 15, 1999.

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