Kevin Lankinen recorded a 27-save shutout and J.T. Miller had two assists in his return to the ice as the Vancouver Canucks beat the visiting Florida Panthers 4-0 on Thursday.
Carson Soucy, Danton Heinen, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver, which won for just the fifth time in 15 home games this season (5-6-4).
The result ended the Panthers’ seven-game points streak (6-0-1).
Lankinen earned his 14th win and third shutout of the season in 21 starts. With Thatcher Demko only just back from a long-term knee injury, Lankinen has excelled as Vancouver’s starting goalie in the season’s first two months.
Teddy Blueger, Quinn Hughes and rookie Max Sasson each had two assists. It was Sasson’s first multi-point performance in his nine career NHL games.
Miller missed the Canucks’ previous 10 games due to undisclosed personal reasons. Defenseman Derek Forbort was also back in Vancouver’s lineup after a 17-game absence caused by a knee injury.
Despite a 27-19 shots advantage, the Panthers were held scoreless for the first time this season. Florida is tied for fourth in the NHL with 106 goals.
Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 of 19 shots.
Soucy’s first goal of the season gave the Canucks the early lead 2:23 into the first period. Vancouver then bookended the period with a late strike 79 seconds before the first intermission, as Heinen converted Sasson’s pass in front of the net.
Playing in his 500th NHL game, Boeser marked the occasion with a goal 4:53 into the second period. Boeser’s initial shot was off target, but the puck deflected off the boards and then off the back of the net. The puck fell to Boeser at the side of the net, and the forward deposited the unconventional rebound goal.
DeBrusk extended the lead with a tip-in goal during a Canucks power play at 12:55 of the third period. The red-hot DeBrusk has 11 goals in his past 10 games, with six of those tallies coming on the power play.
–Field Level Media
