Silfverberg scores twice as Ducks stop Canucks
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jakob Silfverberg scored goals 35 seconds apart early in the third period to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at Honda Center.
Anaheim (7-6-3) is battling a slew of injuries and owns an anemic power play that ranked 30th in the NHL at 5 for 47 entering the game, but rode contributions from all over the lineup and three power-play goals to snap a four-game winless streak (0-2-2).
Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller, who spent the last three seasons in Vancouver before signing a two-year, $4 million deal with Anaheim in July, made 13 saves to help beat his former team.
Miller was replaced by Reto Berra (six saves) late in the third period with the Ducks ahead 4-1. It appeared that Miller waived to the bench indicating that something was wrong before skating off and heading to the dressing room. He did not return.
Vancouver (8-6-2) saw a four-game road winning streak snapped after being outshot 35-20 and getting severely outplayed most of the second period and during a crucial stretch of the early third.
Thirty seconds into the the third, Silfverberg beat goalie Jacob Markstrom (31 saves) for a power-play goal after taking a slick pass from center Rickard Rakell, who was behind the net when he made it.
Silfverberg then gathered a rebound from directly in front of the Vancouver net and snapped home his fourth goal of the season. It was an unusually sloppy display for a Vancouver team which had outscored opponents 14-6 while winning the previous four road games.
Vancouver left winger Sven Baertschi opened scoring at 12:12 of the first when Anaheim defenseman Kevin Bieksa tried to clear a loose puck from in front of the net but instead pushed it to Baertschi, who snapped it past Miller.
Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm made it 1-1 at 17:11 of the first when he scored a power-play goal by angling a shot off the leg pads of Markstrom.
The Ducks power play clicked again at 16:58 of the second period when right winger Corey Perry slipped a pass from the above the left circle into the slot where defenseman Brandon Montour gathered it and snapped a wrister to beat Markstrom to his glove side, giving the Ducks a 2-1 lead.
NOTES: Canucks D Christopher Tanev returned to Vancouver (upper-body injury) and will miss the remainder of the road trip. ... Canucks D Alexander Edler returned after missing 12 games with a sprained knee. ... Anaheim LW Kevin Roy made his NHL debut after being called up from AHL San Diego. ... Anaheim RW Jared Boll (lower-body injury) was placed on injured reserve Thursday morning.