Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the travel-weary Vancouver Canucks picked up a gutsy 3-0 victory over the listless Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday in Toronto.
Quinn Hughes, with a goal and an assist, Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood scored for Vancouver (19-13-10). Tyler Myers had two assists. LankinenB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s shutout was the seventh of his NHL career.
The Canucks didnB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™t arrive in Toronto until roughly seven hours before puck drop due to inclement winter weather on Friday night after falling 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on the front end of a back-to-back.
Dennis Hildeby stopped 15 shots for the Leafs (27-15-2), who were coming off ThursdayB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s 6-3 road loss in Carolina that snapped a five-game winning streak.
Boeser put the visitors up 1-0 just 31 seconds into the opening period when he tipped in the gameB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s first shot off a Myers effort from the point.
Hughes then doubled VancouverB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s lead late in the second period on a delayed penalty before Sherwood made it 3-0 early in the third.
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TAKEAWAYS
Canucks: Head coach Rick Tocchet said the team didnB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™t land in Toronto until noon ET and arrived at its hotel around 2 p.m. despite a police escort from the airport.
Leafs: Hildeby made his fifth career start with Joseph Woll getting the night off. The 23-year-oldB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s last appearance was a 30-save performance in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 5. Anthony Stolarz, who had great numbers to open the season splitting time with Woll, remains on injured reserve with a knee issue that required surgery last month.
KEY MOMENT
Vancouver was set to go on its first power play late in the second, but Hughes stretched the visitorsB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™ lead to two when the captain scored his ninth on a shot that caromed in past Hildeby.
KEY STAT
The Canucks entered Saturday having dropped six of their last seven games (1-3-3) and had just one regulation victory since mid-December (2-4-5).
UP NEXT
Canucks: Conclude a five-game road trip Tuesday in Winnipeg against the Jets.
Maple Leafs: Continue a three-game homestand the same night against the Dallas Stars.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
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