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 The move paid off on the opening night of the NHL's regular season
as Vancouver's top line combined for six points to lead the Canucks
to a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on
Wednesday.
"Hank and Daniel are pretty smart guys so we can read off each
other," said Sutter, who scored the game-winning goal and also had
an assist. "They're just so intelligent out there -- easy to read.
They're always in the right spot, so that makes it a lot easier for
me and for anyone that plays with them and tonight they were great."
Daniel, who plays left wing, had a goal and two assists, while
Henrik scored once.
"I thought they were good," said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins of
his top trio. "We'll keep evaluating that, but it's just as much how
the other lines are playing as well if that line stays together."
Right winger Jannik Hansen and left winger Alex Burrows also scored
for the Canucks, who were eliminated in six games by the Flames in
the opening round of the 2015 NHL playoffs. Goaltender Ryan Miller
made 29 saves to record the win.
Right winger Jiri Hudler scored the lone goal for the Flames, while
goalie Karri Ramo stopped 39 of 44 shots he faced in the Calgary
net.
"The Canucks were much better than us," said Flames coach Bob
Hartley. "We played a game that is totally out of character from us.
We got what we deserved. They kicked our butt."
The Flames nearly took a 1-0 early in the game when Hudler centered
the puck out front from behind the net and Vancouver defenseman Luca
Sbisa inadvertently tipped it on net, but Miller was able to make
the save to keep the game scoreless.
"I thought that we had a great start," said Hartley. "The first 10
minutes we were skating well, but after this the game just got
away."
Just before the 10-minute mark of the first period, Ramo slid across
his crease and made a great blocker save to deny a scoring attempt
by left winger Daniel Sedin, who was set up nicely by his brother,
center Henrik Sedin.
Vancouver then took advantage of a bad line change by Calgary as
Hansen took a pass from rookie defenseman Ben Hutton and blasted a
slap shot into the top corner, glove side behind Ramo at 10:34 of
the first period.
The Canucks went up 2-0 with 1:59 to play in the opening period when
Sutter swatted the puck out of mid-air past Ramo, who made the
initial save to stop another chance by Daniel Sedin.
"That just happened too quick to really think about it," said
Sutter. "It was more just a reaction. I'd say probably 99 times out
of 100 you miss it, but I was fortunate to get a stick on it."
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Calgary's top line went to work early in the first period as center
Sean Monahan forced a turnover by Sbisa in Vancouver's zone before
chipping the puck to left winger Johnny Gaudreau in the slot. Hudler
then took a pass from Gaudreau and made a quick deke before
depositing the puck through Miller's legs.
Daniel Sedin scored with five seconds left in the second to put the
Canucks back up by two heading into the final period. Defenseman Dan
Hamhuis took the initial shot from the point that deflected off Ramo
and then Sedin before going into the net.
"Obviously that's kind of the kicker," said Hartley. "It was not
good execution on our part and they made us pay for it."
The Flames were victimized by a bad goal at 8:17 of the third when
defenseman Dennis Wideman unintentionally redirected a harmless
looking shot off the stick of Burrows past Ramo.
Henrik Sedin added an insurance marker with 3:29 to play in the game
when he took a pass off the end boards from his brother and roofed a
shot from in tight past Ramo.
Just two seconds into the game, Flames left winger Micheal Ferland
and Canucks right winger Derek Dorsett dropped the gloves and
exchanged blows in a spirited fight. It marked the fastest fighting
majors to start a season in the history of both franchises.
NOTES: RW Brandon Sutter made his Canucks debut and started on the
top line with C Henrik Sedin and LW Daniel Sedin. ... The Flames
also welcomed a pair of offseason acquisitions to their lineup. D
Dougie Hamilton played on Calgary's top pairing with the team
captain, D Mark Giordano, while RW Michael Frolik started the game
on a line with C Mikael Backlund and LW Lance Bouma. ... Due to G
Jacob Markstrom being out with a lower-body injury, the Canucks
called up G Richard Bachman from AHL Utica to back up G Ryan Miller.
... Flames G Joni Ortio and LW Mason Raymond were scratched, and C
Joe Colborne (thumb), D T.J. Brodie (hand) and D Ladislav Smid
(neck) also were out. ... In addition to Markstrom, the Canucks'
scratches were RW Jake Virtanen and D Yannick Weber, while LW Chris
Higgins sat out with a foot injury.
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