LDN - Sports

Miller, Canucks shut out Coyotes 3-0

[January 05, 2017] VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks are riding a wave of confidence into the new year.

The Canucks got third-period goals from Brandon Sutter and Bo Horvat, and a shutout performance from goaltender Ryan Miller, for a 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes Wednesday night to extend their winning streak to five games.

Sutter scored on a penalty shot after being hooked by defenseman Luke Schenn on a breakaway. Horvat used his speed to slice between a pair of Coyote defensemen and score on a backhand for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.

Sven Baertschi also scored for the Canucks (18-19-3) who are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. It's the first time in more than three years Vancouver has more than four consecutive games.

"We're playing with confidence right now," said Sutter, who scored for the first time in eight games. "Sometimes when you win one, lose one, it's harder to keep that.

"Right now, we're rolling pretty good. But we have a couple of tough games this weekend that we have to be ready for."

The string of victories has left Vancouver trailing Los Angeles by one point for the final wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"We need these points going into the second half of the season," said Horvat, who has scored in back-to-back games after going five games without a goal.

"The whole team is playing better defensively and we're taking a lot more pride in it. We're doing the little things in our zone to help translate to offence and it is helping us."

Miller made 22 saves. It was the 37th shutout of his career, but his first in 70 games, dating back to a 3-0 win over Los Angeles on Oct. 13, 2015.

The 36-year-old didn't face many tough shots but came up big in the third period when Arizona was on a power play.

"Overall it was a great effort by our guys," he said. "I thought we controlled the neutral zone pretty well, no odd-man rushes and that kept us on the right side of the pucks.

"Guys used good neutral zone pressure to create some speed and get some breakaways and capitalized."

The Canucks haven't loss since coming out of the Christmas break.

"It's just a nice feeling when the guys are getting rewarded for doing good things and you can see it on their faces," said Miller. "It's tough to go through stretches where you feel like you are putting work in and not getting rewarded."

While the Canucks have been climbing the standings, Arizona has sunk to near the bottom of the league. It as the eighth consecutive loss for the Coyotes (11-22-5). During that streak the Coyotes have scored two or less goals six times.

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Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller (30) stops a shot on net by the Arizona Coyotes during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

"We can't buy breaks," said Schenn. "For want ever reason we're not getting any bounces. When you're not scoring goals, guys are maybe gripping the sticks a little tighter than needs to be.

"We keep plugging away. We keep practising hard. I feel like there is still a positive attitude."

The Canucks' first goal resulted from a turnover by defenseman Kevin Connauton. Arizona was still in the game heading into the third period, despite managing just two shots on net in the second.

"We got caught in our end a lot," said head coach Dave Tippett. "We had some long shifts in our end with some tired people and gave them some momentum."

Goaltender Mike Smith said the Coyotes need to generate more offense.

"We had some offensive zone time, we just didn't do enough with it," said Smith, who made 21 saves. "We make it way too easy on the opposing goal.

"I don't know how many times we hit him in the middle of the chest There was no rebounds, nobody in front. We were close but we're not there. If you want to win you have to be there."

NOTES: The last time Vancouver won more than four straight games was a seven-game streak from Dec. 1-14, 2013. ... RW Alex Burrows returned after missing one game with a scratched eye. ... LW Reid Boucher, claimed off waivers Wednesday from New Jersey, did not dress. ... RW Anton Rodin, who had an assist in his first NHL game Monday, was a healthy scratch along with D Alex Biega. ... The Canucks homestand continues Friday against Calgary. ... Arizona D Luke Schenn and D Alex Goligoski both played their 600th NHL game. ... Jordan Martinook was moved from second-line center to fourth-line right wing. ... C Alexander Burmistrov, claimed off waivers from Winnipeg on Monday, took the morning skate but did not dress. ... D Jakob Chychrun was a healthy scratch. ... C Ryan White, who has missed four games with a lower-body injury, skated Tuesday but isn't on the road trip. ... The Coyotes play in Anaheim on Friday.

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