Evander Kane and newcomer Liam Ohgren scored early in the opening two periods Tuesday night and Thatcher Demko recorded the shutout as the retooled Vancouver Canucks earned a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers, whose home woes continued.
Playing their second game since sending Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster trade, the Canucks won consecutive games for the second time this season thanks to the early goals and became the latest team to celebrate a win at Madison Square Garden.
Conor Garland scored an empty-net short-handed goal with 3:08 left for the Canucks, who finished with 17 shots on goal.
Demko made 23 saves and helped the Canucks survive four power plays. Demko notched his first shutout this season and 10th of his career.
New York goalie Jonathan Quick kept the Rangers in it by making 14 saves.
The Rangers dropped to 4-10-3 at home. New York was blanked on home ice for the sixth time this season and is 2-for-21 on the power play since losing top defenseman Adam Fox to a left shoulder injury on Nov. 29.
Mika Zibanejad returned to New York’s lineup after sitting out Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks because of a missed team meeting.
Kane scored 1:46 into the contest following a New York offensive zone turnover and benefited from an official being unable to get out of the way.
Ohgren became the second player acquired in Friday’s trade to score after Zeev Buium scored a power-play goal in the opening minutes of Sunday’s 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Vancouver went ahead after Conor Sheary lost the puck deep in the offensive zone after getting pressured by Elias Petterson and Brock Boeser gained possession.
After getting the pass from Boeser, Kane raced down the left side and got a clean breakaway after New York defenseman Matthew Robertson collided with an official.
The collision allowed Kane to easily cut to the right side of the crease and put the puck into the slightly vacated net.
After Demko helped the Canucks survive three power plays in the first, the Canucks doubled the lead 3:24 into the second following another New York offensive zone turnover.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov lost the puck along the boards in New York’s offensive zone. A few seconds later, Ohgren released a shot from the right circle before Braden Schneider could cover and the puck trickled off Quick’s pad for a 2-0 lead.
–Field Level Media
