Canucks 2, Ducks 1 (SO)
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Goalie Ryan Miller saved two of the three shots he faced in a shootout, and the Vancouver Canucks earned a 2-1 win over Anaheim on Monday in the Ducks' home opener at the Honda Center.
Left winger Alexandre Burrows scored the decisive shootout goal. Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen thought he stopped the puck with his stick, but as he moved back, so did the puck.
Right winger Radim Vrbata also scored in the shootout for Vancouver, while left winger Jakob Silfverberg beat Miller for Anaheim's only shoout goal.
Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen broke a scoreless tie early in the second period. He blasted a slap shot past a screened Miller at 1:56. Left winger Andrew Cogliano got the puck from the hash marks along the boards, with his back turned, out and up to Vatenen at the point, setting up the goal.
Vancouver answered just over six minutes later when right winger Adam Cracknell scored. The play started when left winger Brandon Prust got in the way of right winger Jannik Hansen's initial shot on net. The block cleared just enough space for Cracknell to come through and snap the rebound past Andersen's glove.
Anaheim had a scoring chance with just eight minutes left in regulation when center Shawn Horcoff split two defenders, but Miller came up with the big save.
Miller finished with 28 saves through regulation and overtime. Andersen stopped 24 shot.
Both teams came out playing at a fast pace and fighting, literally.
Within the first two minutes of the game, Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner and Prust dropped the gloves. Ten seconds later, Anaheim went on the power play when defenseman Alexander Edler was called for holding.
The two teams played through a scoreless first period despite each team having several chances and multiple power plays.
NOTES: Anaheim fell to 12-9-2 in home openers. Before Monday, they won four of the previous five. ... Ducks D Kevin Bieksa played his first game against the Canucks since being acquired on June 30, 2015. He was selected by Vancouver in the fifth round of the 2001 draft. ... Canucks G Jacob Markstrom (hamstring) and F Chris Higgins (fractured foot) are on injured reserve. ... Ducks RW Nate Thompson (shoulder surgery) is on the non-roster injured reserve. ... Scratches for the Canucks were D Yannick Weber and RW Jake Virtanen. ... The Ducks scratched RW Tim Jackman, D Josh Manson and C Chris Wagner.